The Wrath of the Half Blood Prince
by Matt Quinn
Summary: Mulciber pranked Mary Macdonald and Snape did not care; what if he had pranked Lily instead?
1. The Wrath of the Half Blood Prince

(Title)

**Wrath of the Half-Blood Prince: A Tale of Severus Snape**

By Matthew W. Quinn

**Author's Note: This is Alternate Universe (AU). Its point of divergence from the canon Potterverse is that instead of playing his prank on Mary McDonald, Mulciber plays his prank on Lily Evans.**

February 8th, 1976

6:30 PM

"Are you sure you want to do this, Sev?" Justin Avery asked, worry in his voice.

Severus Snape nodded grimly. Part of him said this was insane—_Mulciber is twice your size, his father is a Death Eater_—but another part of him didn't give a shit.

_He hurt Lily_, a dark angry voice in his head growled. _He must pay._

"I mean, really," Avery said. "What Mike did really wasn't that bad. Lily wasn't in the infirmary for that long and…"

Snape cut him off. "I don't care. Lily is my friend and I'm not going to stand idly by while…"

"And Mike isn't your friend too? Come _on_, Sev. The three of us have been friends since we were Sorted. Mike just played a prank that got a little out of hand and I'm sure he'll get detention after detention for it."

"That's not enough," Snape grated, thinking back to what Lily's friend Mary Macdonald (who he thought very snooty, particularly where he was concerned) said had happened. _Your Death Eater wannabe friend Mulciber's done something terrible. Lily's in trouble. Come quickly._

Snape had followed Mary back to the corridors near the Transfigurations classroom to find that Mulciber had cast some kind of hex that was bouncing Lily up and down the corridor. Mulciber had already left the scene, leaving him and Mary to get Lily down. Several impacts with the walls had left her badly bruised and she was extremely nauseous on top of that, so the two thought it prudent to take her to the hospital wing.

"Honestly, Sev, she's not worth picking a fight with Mike over. He's twice your size and, in any event, she's just a _Mudblood_."

Snape knew that Avery didn't particularly care for Lily, or any other Muggle-born witch or wizard for that matter, but he'd never heard his friend say the slur like that before. His expression darkened.

"I don't care," Snape grated. "Get Mulciber. Bring him here. Do not warn him." Snape's dark-eyed gaze fell on Avery like a thunderbolt and his expression brooked no argument. "Tell him you found a secret passage."

His eyes wide, Avery reluctantly nodded and scampered off. He left Snape alone in the dark, preparing for war.

February 8th, 1976

6:40 PM

"Okay Avery, where's this secret passage?" Michael Mulciber called. "It's just a dead end. There's nothing here."

Snape lurked in a shadowed alcove, watching the older, larger boy as he felt about the dead end of the corridor. Mulciber was fair-haired and a few inches taller than Snape, but much broader around the shoulders. If the two of them were Muggles, Snape would not have dared attack, but they weren't Muggles. Mulciber might be built like a Muggle tank, but he was inferior to Snape in magic, particularly Dark Magic.

"Oh there's something here all right," Snape said, emerging from the shadows. Mulciber nearly jumped, but quickly recovered his composure.

"Oh, hey Sev," Mulciber said, voice loaded with forced casualness. "Avery send you down here on a wild goose chase too?"

Snape did not reply. Instead, he silenced his opponent.

"Langlock!" The spell instantly attached Mulciber's tongue to the roof of his mouth. _This ought to keep him from calling for help. Hell, it might even keep him from casting spells._ A feral grin crossed Snape's thin face_. That will make things a lot easier._

"Uht de ell are u oing!" Mulciber shouted with his tongue immobilized. He drew his wand, but Snape was faster.

"Confrigo!" A blast of magical power struck Mulciber, sending him tumbling down the corridor towards the dead end. Snape followed, hoping to trap the larger Slytherin against the wall and hammer him again before he could recover.

"Sthupefy!" Mulciber managed to shout, the Langlock spell already wearing off. Snape managed to deflect the spell, but the impact sent him staggering, allowing Mulciber to rise to his feet.

"What's with you, Snape?" Mulciber growled.

Snape righted himself and fixed his gaze on the larger Slytherin. "You likely know, Mulciber."

Mulciber chuckled wickedly. "It's that Mudblood Evans, isn't it? I take it you didn't find what I did very funny."

Snape ground his teeth so much they hurt. "Reducto!" he shouted, aiming his wand at a nearby wall. Chunks of brick exploded from the walls. "Depulso!" The debris flew at Mulciber, a storm of stone that would break every bone in the other Slytherin's body if they all hit.

"Protego!" Mulciber grinned wickedly and began deflecting the flying brick. "You'll have to do better than that, Snape."

Then a chunk hit him in the jaw, wiping the grin off his face. Snape grinned. "You talk too much."

Mulciber swore and spat blood. "Tripudio!" Snape felt a rush of magical power approach him.

"Protego!" He felt the magic Mulciber had sent his way retreat, but not before the spell had bounced him two bounces towards the entrance of the dead-end corridor. _This must have been what he used on Lily. _ He'd never heard of the Tripudius curse before, but he made a note to jot it down somewhere and use it on Potter and his Gryffindor gang when they next tried to ambush him.

"Reducto! Depulso!" Mulciber tried to use Snape's trick against him.

"Protego!" Snape responded. His shield was more effective than Mulciber's; it blocked all but two chunks of brick and Snape managed to dodge them. _I'm a smaller target than he is._

"Depulso!" Snape sent the debris flying back down the corridor. It wouldn't do to have anything get into the nearby corridors, which were much better traveled.

Mulciber was better prepared for that one. His shield charm blocked most of them and he was able to dodge most of the rest. One chunk had struck him in the chest, but that wouldn't hurt the bigger Slytherin much.

Mulciber inhaled and Snape knew that the bigger Slytherin planned to charge him. _Can't let him get too close._ If it came to a battle of fists instead of spells, Snape would surely lose.

"Blood traitor!" Mulciber shouted as he lunged. His words stung Snape, but he kept his cool.

"Impedimenta!" Snape's jinx caught Mulciber and cut his speed in half.

"Stupefy!" Both of them shouted the spell at the same time and although both tried to shield themselves, neither fully succeeded. The two wizards flew in opposite directions.

By the time Snape managed to struggle to his feet, Mulciber was already trying to charge him again.

"Trying to get away?" Snape taunted.

Mulciber glared. "Just getting close enough to wring your neck, you little traitor."

"I doubt you'll succeed," Snape said casually. Then his eyes locked on Mulciber. "Perhaps after this is through," he hissed. "You'll learn to keep your spells to yourself."

Mulciber snorted. "Why do you care? She's just a Mudblood."

"That may be," Snape responded, "but she's my…"

Mulciber grinned a distinctly unsettling grin. "_Your_ Mudblood? That's the spirit. When the Dark Lord takes over, the only Mudbloods left will be the ones kept alive as our playthings, and then when we're through with them…"

The notion of Lily being kept alive only as Mulciber's "plaything" sent a tidal wave of fury crashing across Snape's rational mind. He'd been tinkering with a dueling spell that would cut an opponent's flesh—he was hoping to cast it on Potter the next time the Gryffindor hooligan gang bothered him—but he hadn't yet figured out a counter-spell. Much as he wanted to rip the other Slytherin to pieces, he knew that inflicting permanent damage was a quick way to get expelled.

So he decided on something that ought to hurt but shouldn't do permanent damage. He'd already used Reducto, but not directly on Mulciber. _I wonder what would happen if the spell were directly applied to a human? Only one way to find out._

"Reducto!" The spell, useful for smashing objects, would surely wipe the leer off Mulciber's face.

Mulciber brought his wand up and managed to deflect the spell, but he wasn't able to avoid its effects completely. The wall next to him shattered, as did his left leg. The big Slytherin sank onto the ground with a scream and although part of Snape's mind screamed that this was likely permanent damage, or at least something that would take a long time to fix, he grinned in spite of himself.

"Now," Snape said, "I think it's time to teach you a little lesson in keeping your spells to yourself." He strolled leisurely towards the fallen Mulciber, contemplating just what to do. _He might deserve to be Cruciated, but I'm not interested in being a Dementor's plaything for the rest of my life. Hmm…perhaps applying the levirosa to the injured leg?_

He was so busy contemplating just how he would further hurt Mulciber that he didn't hear the footsteps behind him.

"Stupefy!" a cold, cruel voice shouted and Snape felt a magical hammer slam into his back. The attack sent him flying off Mulciber and tumbling down the hallway.

_Lucius Malfoy,_ he thought, vision blurred and wracked by pain. _Come back for a visit, has he?_ Malfoy had graduated some years before, but for some reason had been hanging around Hogwarts a lot during the last few months. His heart sank. _Malfoy never really liked that you were friends with Lily. He's going to be pissed._

"Mr. Snape, whatever are you doing with Mr. Mulciber?"

Mulciber spoke before Snape had the chance to answer. "Avery came over, saying he found something interesting down this corridor," he said, spitting out a broken tooth. "I go to have a look and there's Snape. He bloody well tried to kill me."

"Bollocks," Snape sneered, the effects of Malfoy's spell wearing off. "This was a proper duel. He hurt my friend."

"Let me guess," Malfoy drawled. "Pretty little Lily Evans." He snorted. "A duel, on behalf of a _Mudblood_?" The way the former prefect spoke the slur dragged daggers across Snape's mind—although he'd used the word himself, against Muggle-borns who annoyed him (much to Lily's irritation), he'd never said it with that much venom.

"Aye."

Malfoy shook his head. "Stupid boy." Snape rankled at that and moved to rise, only to find Malfoy's wand pointed straight in his face.

"I can do things with Dark Magic that you can only dream of. Up!" Snape dragged himself to his feet, scowling at the former prefect. Malfoy then turned towards Mulciber, keeping an eye on Snape all the while.

"Reparo," he said, pointing his wand to the fallen Mulciber for a fraction of a second before swinging it back to Snape. "That won't fully heal the leg, but it'll put it back together enough for you to walk." He reached down and helped Mulciber to his feet, then let the injured Slytherin put an arm around his shoulder.

"Let's get you to the hospital wing," he said. "Then I'll take the Mudblood-loving weakling to Slughorn."

February 8th, 1976

6:45 PM

_Rap, rap, rap._ Malfoy pounded on the door of Professor Horace Slughorn, Potions Master and Head of Slytherin House.

"Who is it?" Slughorn said from inside the office.

"Malfoy," the former prefect grated.

"You're early," Slughorn remarked. "Our appointment isn't until tomorrow morning."

"I know, sir, but I had the good fortune of interrupting some shenanigans by one of your students and felt you should be informed."

"Shenanigans, you say?"

Malfoy nodded. "Yes sir. One of your students was assaulting another. I took the liberty of taking his victim to the hospital wing before bringing him here."

There was a long silence. "Bring him in."

Malfoy turned to Snape and glowered at him. "Now you'll get yours, you imbecile," he hissed.

The older Slytherin pushed the door open and dragged Snape through. Slughorn turned his chair around to face them and popped one last candy into his mouth.

"So Lucius, tell me what happened?"

Malfoy drew in a breath. "I was on my way back to the room where I was staying when young Justin Avery shows up."

_Avery!_ Snape narrowed his eyes. _Figures_. He thought back to how Avery tried to stop him from attacking Mulciber. _At least he didn't warn Mulciber of what I'd planned. Thank goodness for small mercies._

"Avery told me that Snape had persuaded him to lure Mulciber into a deserted corridor. Avery saw Snape assaulting Mulciber and went looking for help. Luckily, he found me before this troublemaker could murder the young man."

"That's a lie!" Snape protested. "I wasn't planning on killing him."

"Could have fooled me," Malfoy retorted.

"So, Mr. Snape," Slughorn said, "Tell me what happened."

Snape gulped. "M…Mulciber hurt Lily," he said. "Lily Evans, from Potions class," he added quickly. His expression darkened. "He needed to be taught to keep his spells to himself."

"A lesson you had no authority to teach him," Malfoy interrupted. "You're not a prefect yet, Snape."

"How badly injured was the boy?" Slughorn asked.

"Leg all but smashed, but I was able to repair the worst of the damage and Madame Pomfrey should fix the rest. Missing a couple of teeth and some nasty bruises." He shook Snape. "This hooligan was standing over him when I arrived. Probably intended to hurt him further."

Slughorn leaned back in his chair for a moment and shook his head. "Whatever am I to do with you, Mr. Snape? You were always so well-behaved, so studious, until now."

_Time to grovel,_ Snape thought.

"Whatever you wish, sir," he said. "You are the Head of Slytherin House."

Slughorn looked at him for a long moment before speaking.

"You have some aptitude for Potions," the rotund professor said. "I will put it to good use. For your punishment, Mr. Snape, you will arrive in my classroom every weekday morning at 6:30 to help me set up for the day's classes, then report back to my classroom in the afternoons to help clean up. I think two weeks of this should be enough."

Snape felt Malfoy stiffen behind him. "Only two weeks, sir? All Mulciber did was play a practical joke on a Muggle-born girl and…"

"A Muggle-born girl who has shown great potential," Slughorn interrupted. He shook his head. "You need to look beyond lineage and blood, my boy, and see the potential of raw talent…"

"I will try, sir," Malfoy said. Snape restrained a disrespectful snort. _I doubt that._ "But still, two weeks is far, far too short. This hooligan" — he shook Snape roughly — "needs to learn a lesson."

"All right, four weeks then," Slughorn said. _Four weeks?_ Snape felt his heart sink. He always enjoyed Potions, but waking up early to help Slughorn prepare for his classes for a solid _month_ was far too much.

"Oh, and let's not forget fifty points from Slytherin," Slughorn added. "Hate to dock points from my own house, but forms have got to be followed. Now I've got some papers to grade. Take him back to the Slytherin common room, Lucius. I will see you tomorrow."

Malfoy's vice-like grip tightened on Snape's arm.

"Come along," Malfoy demanded, dragging him out of Slughorn's office.

February 8th, 1976

6:50 PM

Malfoy dragged Snape down the corridor towards the Slytherin dormitory and, once they'd reached an area without anyone there, he shoved Snape up against the wall.

"I thought you had promise, Snape," Malfoy sneered, face even with the younger man's. "But it looks like nature won out over nurture, as usual."

"Wha…" Snape began before Malfoy pushed him harder against the wall, silencing him.

"Your mother may have married a Muggle, but she at least had pure blood. When I was prefect, I figured you took more after your mother than your father, but I think your continued friendship with that _Mudblood_ proves otherwise. Muggle filth is inevitably drawn to Muggle filth, I suppose."

That was too much to take. "You bloody…"

"Silencio!" Snape suddenly found himself unable to speak. _This is certainly better than Langlock_, he thought.

Malfoy flashed Snape an evil smile and continued. "As you know, your _former_ friend Mulciber's father serves the Dark Lord. The Death Eaters cannot openly operate in Hogwarts, but I'm sure they can get to your family easily enough."

Malfoy's voice then took on an almost pensive quality.

"I wonder what he'll do with them? Perhaps he'll put your parents under Imperio and force them to kill one another. That would be most amusing."

_Oh bugger!_ Snape thought that at worst, Mulciber's father would come after him. He didn't anticipate the possibility that Mulciber Sr. would come after his parents, even though that would certainly be easier than attacking him at Hogwarts.

His mind raced—how to keep his parents safe? He recalled reading about something called the Fidelius Charm that would make it all but impossible for anyone to find his home at Spinner's End, but he wasn't yet skilled enough to make it. Did his mother know any other witches or wizards who could help?

_I doubt it._ His father had always disliked his mother's friends from the wizarding world. He'd been particularly hostile to the one Snape recognized even then as the most skilled, an Irish wizard named Patrick Dixon. One day he had abruptly forbidden his wife from allowing other "magical folk" into the house and he grew increasingly upset whenever she went to visit them. His parents had fought more than once about this and Eileen's visits to the wizarding world had grown fewer and fewer over the years. The last time he recalled her doing anything prior to taking him to Diagon Alley for school supplies was when he was seven or eight and he remembered his father raising Cain about it.

Malfoy's voice ripped him out of his reverie.

"I see you're afraid," Malfoy hissed.

"I…am…not," Snape said, forcing the words out of his mouth. The silencing spell was wearing off, but not fast enough. He tried to squash the serpent of fear rearing up from the back of his brain, but to no avail.

Malfoy shook his head, then released Snape.

"Locomotor mortis!" Malfoy shouted, freezing the younger wizard in place. Malfoy stepped back and pulled back the sleeve covering his left arm.

Snape's jaw dropped. There on the older man's forearm glowered the Dark Mark! Snape swallowed, suppressing a peculiar mix of horror and envy. Power could be had, such power, by serving the Dark Lord, but the price…

"Know this, Mr. Snape," Malfoy hissed. "Once upon a time, I felt you might be worthy of this. No longer. Someday soon, when the Dark Lord triumphs, there will be a reckoning. Before we go out and make the Muggles our cattle, we'll kill off all the Mudbloods — I suspect your former friend Mulciber will be sure to get your precious Lily — and then we'll separate the wheat from the chaff among the Half-Bloods." Malfoy sneered. "You will be among the chaff."

Malfoy released Snape, who staggered towards the door of the Slytherin common room. He was about to speak the password and get away from the former prefect when Malfoy interrupted.

"Stupefy!" Malfoy shouted. The spell struck Snape on the shoulder and slammed him headfirst against the door. The impact knocked him briefly unconscious and when he came to, Malfoy was gone.

February 9th, 1976

2:30 PM

"You didn't have to do that, Sev," Lily Evans said, concern evident in her voice.

"I did," he said, idly drawing in the dirt in front of the steps they were sitting on with his wand. "That was cruel of him, knocking you around like that."

The pain from talking made him wince. He'd woken up that morning with terrible pain along the side of his head, from the hinge of his jaw all the way to his temple. He figured it would fade eventually—the bruises from James Potter's and Sirius Black's "pranks" disappeared within a few days, even without magical healing—but the pain made it difficult to talk.

"You could have been _expelled_," she argued. "And his father…"

"I don't care about his father," Snape grated. _I care about you._ Of course, he didn't dare say that out loud.

Lily sighed and changed the subject. "Are you hurt?"

Snape shook his head, but the pain from this movement made him wince again.

"You're a bad liar," she said exasperatedly. "Let me take a look."

She leaned forward and pushing his hair out of the way. Her touch electrified Snape and the young wizard felt his pulse begin to race. A disgusted expression crossed her face when she got a look at the massive bruise hiding beneath Snape's long hair.

"You didn't see this this morning?" she asked. "Sev, it's as big as my hand!"

"No," he said lamely.

She shook her head. "Honestly, Sev, you need to pay more attention to this sort of thing." Snape barely restrained himself from rolling his eyes. _She's just like her mum._ Mrs. Evans was always fussing over him, trying to make him eat better and dress in brighter colors, or at least something other than black.

"Hold still." Out of the corner of his eye, Snape saw her waving her wand in a particular pattern and saying an incantation that sounded like a song under her breath.

The pain disappeared. Snape rubbed the side of his head. No pain, even then. "Thanks, Lily," he said. "Where'd you learn how to do this?"

"Charms class," she said. "I think your section will get to it sometime this week or the next."

"Cool." _This could be a useful charm to learn. No need to come crawling to Madam Pomfrey if you get hurt, although if Potter and Black are involved…_

The thought of those two, and how he likely wouldn't even have the minimal protection his Slytherin clique gave him anymore, burst the momentary bubble of happiness that Lily's spell had created. Snape frowned and resumed drawing in the dirt.

It didn't take Lily long to notice.

"Sev?"

"Yes?"

"Something's bothering you again," she said flatly. "You've got that look."

He nodded. "As you're no doubt aware, I've never had very many friends. Father never really liked having any of Mother's magical friends around and Mother didn't want me hanging around with Muggles—she was afraid I might do something that couldn't be explained away easily."

He traced a final pattern in the dirt before stashing his wand in his robes. "Mulciber sure as hell isn't my friend anymore and I'll sooner throw myself at the Whomping Willow then trust Avery again." He sighed. "They were the first friends I made when I first came here. Unlike a lot of people in Slytherin, they didn't care that my father was a Muggle, they just liked that I had the proper 'attitude.'"

Lily made a sour face. "They don't look down too much on Half-Bloods because they're too busy hating 'Mudbloods,'" she said, voice dripping with scorn.

Snape exhaled. "Aye." _She's right, you know_. How easy it was to forget he was half-Muggle when the opportunity to mock those who had two Muggle parents came along, particularly if they acted like complete yobs when they first came to Hogwarts.

"Are you sure it'll be safe in the Slytherin dorm, Sev?"

Snape allowed himself a small smile. "Probably. They know I sleep with my wand under my pillow and my bed warded." _It helps keeps the jacked-up little wankers who think_ they're _the real masters of the Dark Arts from making trouble when I'm asleep._

Still, it didn't help to be careful. He'd be sure to add more wards to his bed and the room he shared in case Mulciber and his friends tried anything that night.

"Good."

Snape sighed again. "Not everyone in Slytherin is friends with Mulciber or fantasizes about serving You-Know-Who. Perhaps…" He snorted. "Who am I kidding? Even those who didn't like Mulciber liked Malfoy—he was always good about finding jobs and connections for those who kept on his good side. There are those who'd side with me against Mulciber, but few indeed who'd side with me against Malfoy. I don't think I'll have many friends at all by the time word gets out."

Lily smiled and put her hand on his shoulder. "You still have me," she said. Snape felt his pulse race again and a goofy smile sprawl across his face. _Stop that_, he thought. _You're giving yourself away. Do you think she'll still want to be friends knowing you want more?_

Lily went on, apparently oblivious to Snape's expression. "And don't you worry, Severus Snape. You'll make better friends than those wannabe Death Eaters." She looked thoughtful for a moment. "I know some Ravenclaws you might be interested in meeting."

"Ravenclaws?" Almost all of his friends were Slytherin — he didn't really know any Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs and his half-hearted attempts to befriend Gryffindors other than Lily tended to fail.

Lily nodded. "Yep. I know a bunch of them. You might like Ian Jewell. He's really smart and he's been helping me with Transfigurations…"

Snape successfully suppressed an urge to scowl. _Ian Jewell?_ He'd seen him somewhere before, a tall Ravenclaw, dark-haired like he was but without the unattractively huge nose. _He better not have any ideas…_

_Oh stop that_, part of him interrupted. _You two have been the best of friends since you were nine. Doesn't that count for something?_

But a darker part of him kept on whispering. _He's better looking than you are, and probably richer too. All he's got to do is ask her out and…_

"Sev?" Lily asked, yanking him out of his worries. "You okay?"

"Yes," Snape said, nodding quickly. "Just started…thinking about something there. Sorry."

She opened her mouth to speak, but received a very rude interruption.

"Oy, Snivellus!" someone shouted. _Oh bugger. Potter._

Snape looked up to see James Potter and Sirius Black swagger into view, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew trailing behind. As soon as Potter spotted Lily, he mussed his hair in his usual pretentious manner.

"Hello Evans," he said grandly.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Hello yourself, Potter." Before she could speak another word, Potter turned his attention to Snape.

"Heard the little tattletale got in big trouble the other day," Potter said with a sneer. "Guess the grease-ball isn't such a goody-two-shoes after all."

He grinned maliciously. "Think you might want to come along with us when we go out some nights, to do something besides try to get us in trouble?"

Before Snape could reply, James snorted derisively. "Well you can't."

"Oh stuff it Potter," Snape retorted. "Why would I want to when…"

"You're in _detention_," sniggered Pettigrew, who then fell into giggling. He was the only one laughing and Snape detected Potter rolling his eyes.

"Oh spare me," Potter said under his breath before returning his gaze to Snape.

"At least you put your damnable Dark Arts to good use this time. I heard Mulciber had a bunch of broken bones and some missing teeth. Good job taking out the wannabe Death Eater trash."

Snape scowled. "I didn't do it for _you_, Potter."

Potter snorted. "Of course. We all know who you _really_ did it for." He briefly made a googly-eyed expression before turning to the others. "Hey mates, he was tough enough to take down one wannabe Death Eater. Let's see if he can handle all four of us." Potter drew his wand, as did Pettigrew. Lupin was, as usual, slow to draw, but Snape noticed that Black hadn't moved.

_Idiots_, he thought. _It would have been best to attack quickly, with the advantage of surprise._ He drew his own wand.

"If it comes to a fight, he won't be alone," Lily said, pulling out her own wand. Snape saw James flinch.

"Oh, no worries Evans," he said with a laugh. "We'll be careful not to hurt you."

"Potter," she said angrily, "I won't be careful not to hurt _you_."

Snape smiled. _Go Lily!_

Lily and James kept their eyes locked for a long moment. Then the Gryffindor boy smiled.

"Have it your way, Evans." Then his gaze shifted to Snape.

"You may have done good this time, Snivellus, but you're still an ugly greasy git. Don't think we won't be back."

The Gryffindor boys turned to leave. However, as the others wandered off, Sirius Black remained behind.

"Snape?" he asked.

Snape raised an eyebrow. _Not calling me "Snivellus" this time, you shit? This is interesting._ Memories of that night in the Shrieking Shack, with Lupin in his wolf-form howling behind him as Potter pulled him away, pressed at the edge of his consciousness. He pushed them aside and kept his focus on Black.

"Yes?"

"Be careful around Lucius Malfoy and them. They're bad news."

Snape barely kept his jaw from dropping. _This bullying Gryffindor git tries to murder me and now he's trying to_ help? Gears began turning in his mind. _Might as well make the best of it. _

Snape nodded.

"I know."

Snape touched his left forearm. Black's eyes widened slightly and he nodded in return before following his friends.

_This_ is _interesting_, Snape thought. He pondered what he knew of Sirius Black, which mostly came from his brother Regulus. _Black doesn't believe that purebloods are better than other wizards and annoys his parents with his interest in Muggle culture._ A light bulb lit in his mind. _Perhaps Black is thinking that I might be walking the same path as he is? _

Snape mentally restrained himself from snorting, but part of him recalled the things Mulciber had said and the skull-mark on Malfoy's arm with horror. _Perhaps he's…_

"Hello," Lily interrupted, waving her hand in front of his face. "Earth to Sev!"

"Yes!" Snape said quickly, startled. _Must've been staring off into space again._

"You had that look you have whenever you're contemplating something," she stated. "What is it?"

Snape worked his jaw slightly. _How to explain it?_ He decided to keep his conclusions to himself, for the present. "Black was being remarkably civil—he's usually worse than Potter."

Lily nodded and Snape allowed himself a small smile.

"Now, about those Ravenclaws…"


	2. Blue and Silver

(Title): The Further Consequences of the Wrath of the Half-Blood Prince

**Blue and Silver: The Further Consequences of the Wrath of the Half-Blood Prince**

By Matthew W. Quinn

February 11th, 1976

7:30 PM

"Lily, you don't have to do this," Severus Snape said as his red-haired friend tinkered with his tie again. "I assure you, I have prepared adequately." _I had the house-elves iron my robes and even washed my hair for the first time in nearly a month. I hope you're happy._

"Well, first impressions are important," Lily Evans said as she stepped back and eyed his tie. "I think this is just great."

Snape allowed himself a small smile. "I'm glad."

"Okay then. Once we meet up with them …"

"Lily, please. I _do_ know how to introduce myself."

Lily shrugged. "All right."

They set off from the entrance of Gryffindor Tower to the empty classroom they were using…

February 11th, 1976

7:40 PM

_Six people_, Snape noted as he and Lily approached the table where the others had gathered.

Mary Macdonald, who was Lily's best friend (other than himself), was there, as was Ian Jewell. There were four other students who Snape did not know — a younger dark-haired girl who looked a bit like Ian, a blond boy wearing the blue and silver tie of Ravenclaw, and two Gryffindor girls.

"Hallo everyone," Lily said.

"Hey Lily," Mary said. She nodded politely to Snape, who nodded politely back. _Curses. I figured she'd be friendlier, given what I've done to Mulciber._

"Everyone, this is my friend Severus Snape," Lily said cheerily. She began pointing out the others for Snape. "This is Ian, who you already know. That's his sister Sarah"—the dark-haired girl who, Snape noticed, seemed to be paying him particular attention—"that's John Anderson"—the remaining male smiled at Snape, who did his best to smile back—"and those are Kelly Andrews and Evelyn Daniels." The two Gryffindors looked at Snape skeptically—Snape had never interacted with them but he figured they'd gotten an earful about "Snivellus" from Potter and Black—but nodded politely to him.

"Hallo," Snape said hesitantly. "What are we studying tonight?"

"Most of us are in the same Transfigurations section and have an exam tomorrow," the elder Jewell said. "I think your section is somewhat behind ours…"

_Somewhat behind?_ Snape bristled at the implication that he was academically behind anyone, but kept his expression placid.

"But I'm sure your contribution will be helpful regardless. Lily says you're pretty sharp."

Snape allowed himself to relax. "Thanks."

"Do you have your copy of Intermediate Transfiguration?"

"Aye," Snape said. He took a chair next to Lily and fished the book out of his bag. "What charms are you going to be tested on?"

"The three Rs—Reparo, Reducio, and Reducto."

Snape raised an eyebrow. Reducto. _I certainly have experience with that._

Jewell must have noticed Snape's expression. "You've done those before?" he asked.

Snape nodded. "I've used Reducto a fair bit recently. Seen Reparo done. Reducio, not so much."

Jewell raised an eyebrow. "This is interesting. Tell me about the first two."

_Uh-oh._ Lily was never quite comfortable with Snape's "excessive" interest in curses and still wasn't happy about what he did to Mulciber.

Then Snape allowed himself a small smile. _Perhaps I can impress him. He is a prefect after all._ Given that Mulciber would likely be out for revenge, it would be a good idea to leave a good impression with as many authority figures as he could, particularly since Slughorn was rather disappointed in him.

"You might want to ask Mulciber. He was on the receiving end of Reducto, several times."

Jewell raised his eyebrow even higher. "You used Reducto against him directly? I heard about your fight and how he was hurt badly, but I figured you must've Stunned him a bunch of times."

Snape shook his head. "Reducto to smash the walls and floor and Depulso to hurl the smashed brick at him. Then I used Reducto on him directly. I pretty much shattered his leg." Snape paused for a moment. "Lucius Malfoy came along and then used Reparo. Put his leg at least partly back together."

A glance out of the corner of his eye revealed that Lily looked uneasy with Snape's tale. _Best change the subject._

"Thing is, I don't expect your professor to know what I've done, so it would be wise to stick to the book."

Jewell nodded. "A fair point." He turned to Lily.

"Where were we last time?"

Lily opened her book and leafed through it. "We were here," she said. "Proper uses of Reducio."

"Thanks." Jewell smiled, Lily smiled back, and Snape felt something constricting in his chest. _Stop it,_ he thought.

"Severus?" Sarah Jewell asked.

"Yes?" _What could she want?_

"You okay?"

Snape nodded frantically. "Aye. Just…just lost my place in the book there." He flipped over to 'Proper Uses of Reducio.'

Jewell continued on as if nothing had happened. "What are some uses of Reducio?"

Silence hung on the air for a moment before Anderson raised his hand. "Shrinking something that's been magically-enlarged, typically done using the Engorgement Charm."

Jewell nodded. "Excellent. Shall we practice it?"

Anderson nodded. "Aye. Always had problems with that."

"Very well." Jewell drew a Knut coin out of his pocket and dropped it on the table. "Engorgio!"

The bronze coin swelled until it was roughly the size of Snape's hand. "Now Reduce it," Jewell said.

"Reducio!" Anderson said with a flick of his wand. The coin trembled, but did not shrink. "Bugger," he said. "Reducio!" He flicked his wrist in a slightly different manner and the coin shrank, but only to roughly double its original size.

"I think the problem is with your wrist movements," Sarah said. "The way the spell works is by proportions. Jewell blew it up to around ten times its original size by making a circle ten times the circumference. You need to reverse that."

Snape raised an eyebrow. _Impressive, particularly for a younger student._ Like the other Slytherins, Snape had often thought of the Ravenclaws as being too interested in knowledge for its own sake and not in actually _using_ it, but even that prejudice couldn't stop him from being impressed. He watched as Anderson swished a circle in the air around half the original size of the Engorged coin. The coin returned to normal.

"Good job," Jewell said. Then he flicked his wand. "Engorgio! I think you should do it two more times before we move on."

That Anderson did. _Good job,_ Snape thought, though he didn't congratulate him as the Ravenclaws did.

"Okay," Jewell said. "Anyone have any questions as far as Reducio?"

Nobody raised their hands. "All right," Jewell said. "I think we'd better practice Reparo first, before Reducto. That way, we can fix anything we break." He smiled and the others laughed politely; Snape stayed silent.

He fished a Muggle pencil—why he had such a thing Snape didn't know—out of his robe and snapped it in half, then lay both halves on the table and fit them together.

"All right," Jewell said. "The exercise is to repair the pencil. Once it's fixed, I'll break it again. If it's any easier to break, it has been Reparo'd properly."

Anderson pointed at the table. "How long can we use that thing?" he asked. "Each time you break it, you lose a little wood."

Snape raised an eyebrow. _Impressive_. Lily had though he'd be interested in being friends with Jewell, but Snape found himself liking the blond-haired Ravenclaw more.

Jewell pursed his lips. "A fair point. I think we ought to use a pencil only two or three times." He fished out a package of several from his robes. "The things you can find in Hogsmeade. 'Muggle writing artifacts,' they call them."

He then nodded to his sister. "You first. You were having trouble, right?"

She nodded. "Reparo!"

Snape watched as the pencil knitted itself together. Jewell picked it up and examined it.

"Surface is smooth. Time to see if the inside's right."

Jewell snapped the pencil. "Close, but not completely repaired." He set the broken pencil on the table. "Again."

"Reparo!"

Jewell picked up the pencil and examined the outside, then broke it again. "A bit better. I think you need to focus on the object for longer, so the magic works its way inward." He repaired the pencil himself and pocketed it, then pulled another from the pack. "Two more tries and then it's time for someone else."

Snape watched as the Jewell siblings worked, wheels turning inside his head. _Persistent_, he thought, _but she lacks focus_.

"Okay then. Anyone else having trouble with Reparo?"

Lily raised her hand. "I do. I think it's the reverse of Sarah's problem—the insides are always fixed, but the outside isn't."

Jewell stepped over to Lily. Snape followed him with his eyes. _Stop it_, he told himself. _You're acting like Father._ He forced himself to examine his textbook.

"Show me," Jewell said. He placed another broken pencil on the table and Lily drew her wand. Snape looked up, interested in how Lily did.

"Reparo!" The pencil knitted itself together and Snape allowed himself a smile. Jewell picked up the pencil and examined it, then broke it again.

"Do it again. I'll need to confirm where it stayed broken."

Lily repaired the broken pencil again. Jewell picked it up and looked it over. "It looks like your magic is traveling partway through the pencil—the side facing you and the interior are repaired, but the side away from you is still cracked. You need to stayed focused on the target longer, make sure it goes all the way through."

Lily nodded. Jewell looked at the whole group. "Any others with Reparo?"

Nobody responded.

"Very well then. On to Reducto," Jewell said. He cracked a small smile. "Perhaps Severus can teach us that one."

Snape felt himself redden and he got even redder when Lily laughed. "All right," Snape grated. "Still got your coin?"

Jewell flicked it onto the table.

"I will demonstrate," Snape said. He focused, then stabbed with his wand. "Reducto!"

The coin split in half. Snape smiled, in his element. _Perhaps I can show off a little._ "I've found lately one can modulate the power of the spell by how much intensely you're feeling at the time."

Now it was Jewell's turn to raise an eyebrow. "Really?"

Snape nodded. "Aye. Watch." He quickly repaired the coin, then stabbed at it again with his wand. As he flicked his wrist, he thought about Lily, bouncing down the corridors knocking into walls, about Mulciber's leer, and the twisted, hateful expression on Lucius Malfoy's face when he told Snape that he and his parents were on the death list.

CRACK! The spell not only split the coin, four ways this time, but it also left a spider's web of cracks in the thick oak of the table.

The others' jaws dropped. Lily seemed less shocked than the others—after all, she'd seen him do this before—but her green eyes were wide. The other Gryffindor girls looked at him carefully, as if they feared he might rear up and strike them. _Got to say something clever, lighten the mood a bit._ It wouldn't do for this new group of potential friends to think him some madman.

"I think we might need to practice Reparo again," Snape said.

Lily and the Ravenclaws laughed and the Gryffindor girls relaxed a little. "Good job, Severus," Jewell said. "You're probably the best with that one."

Anderson joined in. "That was kind of cool."

_Wow_, Snape thought. _They aren't horrified by how well I can use curses_. His gaze wandered to Lily. _I can't even say that about her, my oldest and closest friend._

He noticed the Ravenclaws were scribbling furiously in their notebooks. _This is interesting._ The only people who were ever that impressed with his knowledge were the other Slytherins, but he figured the Ravenclaws wouldn't put the spell to the same use.

"All right," Jewell said. "We've seen what Severus can do—now it's our turn. John, you were having some problems with this spell—you go next."

Anderson repaired the coin, scowled at it, and flicked his wrist. "Reducto!"

His magical blow struck the coin and split it into three. However, the spell hit at an angle and sent the pieces flying. One hurled straight at Snape.

"Protego!" His reflexes, honed in dozens of mock duels within Slytherin House and tested by the very real battle three days prior, were enough to protect him from accidents. The coin slammed into his invisible shield and stopped abruptly before dropping into Snape's lap.

"Sorry," Anderson said sheepishly.

Snape nodded, then picked up the fragment and wordlessly tossed it to him.

"Good job," Jewell said. "Still, I think you ought to do it again, just to be safe."

That Anderson did, shattering the coin into five pieces the second time. Snape smiled. _He's mimicking my technique and it's working._ Snape figured regardless of whatever reputation he'd brought with him to the meeting, Anderson at least would be favorably disposed towards him.

"Okay," Jewell said. "Does anyone have any specific spellcasting questions?"

Nobody said anything and Jewell returned to his chair.

"All right," he said, opening his book. "If anyone's got any trouble, I'll be here."

They read and discussed in the empty classroom for the next hour and a half before the others began drifting off. Lily left with the Gryffindor girls and Sarah disappeared soon afterward. After waiting a decent interval, Snape rose to leave.

"Hey," Jewell said just before Snape reached the door.

"Yes?"

"Thanks for coming."

_Oh my._

"You're welcome."

February 11th, 1976

9:30 PM

"Serpentine," Snape said, unlocking the Slytherin common room. He passed through the doorway and drew his wand, just in case somebody wanted to take him to task for the damage he'd inflicted on Mulciber three days prior.

He felt the weight of the glares of other members of his House as he made his way to the stairs that led to his room. Most of his housemates were elsewhere, studying, rollicking in Hogsmeade as the weekend drew to a close, or tinkering with Dark Magic in the deeper dungeons, but there were five other Slytherins in the room and Snape suspected he wasn't going to be a hit with any of them.

"Blood traitor," someone muttered. Snape felt his anger rising, but kept it down. _Just ignore the bastard_, he thought.

"Mudblood lover," someone else hissed. The anger in Snape's chest grew hotter at this affront to Lily, but he kept his cool. _You don't need even more detention._

Behind him, the springs in one of the sofas squeaked. _So someone has grown some balls after all? _

Snape whirled and locked eyes with the perpetrator—it was Evan Rosier. The other Slytherin had risen from the couch and had his hand in the pocket of his robes, as if he was going for his wand. Snape had his wand out already, but he hadn't raised it yet. _Best not start a fight if you can avoid it._

"Can I help you?" Snape asked neutrally. The two stared at each other for a long minute and Snape could feel the tension rise in the common room. The other Slytherins leaned forward, hungry looks on their faces, wanting to see the blood traitor punished. Snape tightened his grip on his wand in case one of them tried expelliarmus.

It was Rosier who looked away first. "Never mind," he muttered, sinking back onto the couch.

"Good." Snape turned and made his way back to the staircase, making sure to keep his movements strong and confident. _If you show fear, they'll be on you._ He briefly considered wishing them good night, but decided against it. _What good would that do?_

Snape entered the room he shared with Avery, who wasn't there. _Good._ He didn't want to hear any more of the other Slytherin's excuses. _His dad's a Death Eater, the same as Mulciber. Should never have trusted him._

He quickly peeled off his robes and slipped into his gray nightshirt, then checked the wards around his bed. _Good. Nobody's gone poking around. _ It would not do to pull back the covers and have something explode in his face.

Once he was certain his bed had not been tampered with, Snape slipped under the covers. He cast an additional security ward just to be sure and, just to be sure, made one last check on the older wards preventing unauthorized access to his bed. Then he extinguished his light and tucked his wand under his pillow. As he lay there in the darkness, he pondered the night's study session and, possibly, the first friends he'd made outside of Slytherin since, well, since Lily.

_That wasn't bad_, he thought before sleep claimed him. _Not bad at all._


	3. Picnic by the Lake

Picnic By the Lake

**Picnic by the Lake**

By Matthew W. Quinn

March 7th, 1976

4:30 PM

Severus Snape squinted as he gently tapped the bottle of especially-concentrated armadillo bile. He'd already finished the cleaning he needed to do for Professor Slughorn, but he had a notion for an experiment that he wanted to try out.

_All right_, he thought to himself. _I wonder what effect concentrating the armadillo bile will have?_ He'd scrounged the best ginger root and scarab beetle he could find—Slughorn wasn't inclined to begrudge him small quantities and he had been able to snag some of the rest at a decent price during the last Hogsmeade weekend—and made a single alteration to the recipe for Wit-Sharpening Potion. Instead of the bile being at 50 concentration, it was at 80.

He would ordinarily test out his potion on an animal first, but he'd just replied to a message from Mum and so his owl wasn't around. _Not sure how one would tell if you'd successfully sharpened the wits of an owl, particularly if you'd sharpened them any more or less than an ordinary potion would._

So, he decided, he would test out his experiment on himself. He'd done that before and usually didn't have any problems (with the notable exception of a particularly inept experiment his second year that had landed him in the Infirmary for a week).

He was just about to mix the ground beetle into the armadillo bile when the door to the potions classroom banged open behind him. He nearly jumped, fearing that it might be Mulciber out for revenge, but the voice reassured him. "Hey Sev!" Lily Evans said boisterously.

Snape smiled. "Hallo, Lily. Come to join me in my enforced solitude?"

Lily smiled and Snape felt his warmth blooming in his chest. _I love it when she smiles._ "Not for long," she said. "The rest of the group is having a picnic down by the lake and they wanted me to come fetch you."

_Me? They want _me_ to hang out with _them_? _ They certainly liked having him as a member of their study sessions—his advice on amplifying the power of Reducto had gotten them high marks and they'd certainly appreciated his thoughts on Evanesco—but doing something _fun_?

"Yeah," Lily said, as though she were reading his mind. "They're down by the lake."

_Do you really want to have a_ picnic? Really, what he was working on was far more interesting.

"You know, I'm really kind of busy right now. Perhaps…"

Lily rolled her eyes. "Oh come _on_ Sev. You can experiment any old time."

Part of him wanted to answer back that one attends Hogwarts to learn, not just hang out. However, another part of him disagreed. _She's right, you know. You can work on your project after supper._ It would give him an excuse not to go back to the Slytherin common room too.

"All right," Snape said. He recapped his bottle of armadillo bile and stuffed the beetle bits back into the package.

Lily smiled and Snape felt himself warming again. "That's the spirit," she said. "C'mon."

March 2nd, 1976

4:50 PM

"Sorry we're late," Lily said as he approached the blanket that the other members of their study group had spread out by the lake. "Sev was working on something down in Slughorn's classroom and it took me awhile to find him."

"No problem," Ian Jewell said, gesturing to an empty spot on the checkered blanket. John Anderson and Mary Macdonald scooted to the side, making room for them.

"Now we're all here," Jewell said, "Let the feasting begin." He opened the picnic basket with a gesture and apples, sandwiches, and pastries began floating out. Snape hung back and watched as Lily reached out and took a floating apple, marveling at the way the sunlight glinted on her red hair. Then he reached in to grab a nice-looking pastry.

Sarah Jewell reached over to grab an apple, only to have it jump away from her.

"Ian," she said exasperatedly, putting her hands on her hips. "Give me that." She reached for the apple again, only to have it jump away. Jewell laughed. Sarah scowled and faked another go for the apple, then gave her brother a magical shove when he was focused on making it jump away again.

Jewell toppled over and the apple dropped from the air. Before she could catch it, it hit the ground and started rolling towards the lake.

"Accio!" Jewell shouted and the apple leaped into his hand. He then tossed the apple to his sister before resuming emptying the basket.

Snape leaned forward, dark eyes narrow. _He did that without his wand!_ He'd seen magic done without a wand before — it was Lily's wandless magic on the playground that had made him notice her so long ago — but without a wand, magic tended to be unfocused and emotion-driven, like when he was annoyed at Petunia for making fun of his clothing and the next thing he knew, a branch fell on her. The only person he'd ever seen performing full-blown spells without his wand was Headmaster Dumbledore, but Dumbledore had decades of experience with magic.

_Whenever Potter and his hooligans attack, they always start out with Expelliarmus_, he thought, _and then they're on me before I can get my wand back_. Learning how to use the Summoning Charm without a wand would be a very useful skill indeed.

"Hey," Snape said. "How'd you do that?"

"Summoning?" Jewell asked.

"Without a wand," Snape clarified.

"Oh," he said. "I haven't been able to do that long. You know you've got to concentrate even when you've got a wand?"

Snape nodded.

"Wands focus our natural magic, so without one, you'd have to concentrate even more. And even then it's tough. Imagine trying to lift weights with your little finger."

_Hmm_. Snape set down his pastry and focused with all his might on it.

"Accio!"

The pastry shifted a little. Snape scowled. _Damn it_.

"Relax, Severus," Jewell said. "I'll teach you how to practice properly when we next meet up to study. Right now, let's relax a touch. We'll have little enough time for that, since the OWLs are coming up."

_Don't remind me_. Much as he liked to do excel at his studies, the amount of sheer work involved, particularly in subjects he had little interest in like Divination, got on his nerves.

The group ate in companionable silence before Anderson cleared his throat.

"Hey, Severus," he asked.

Snape raised an eyebrow.

"Yes?"

"I've got a question. You're Half-Blood, right?"

_How the hell did he know?_ It wasn't something he kept secret—were he Muggle-born, he might, just to avoid catching the attention of Mulciber and company—but on the other hand, it wasn't something he shouted to the rooftops either. _Hopefully Lily didn't let anything slip during a chat sometime._ He glanced over to her and saw her looking uneasy. _Is she uneasy because she's Muggle-born or because she let something slip she ought not to?_

He'd deal with that later. He turned back to Anderson and nodded.

"Yes, I am."

"How'd you get into Slytherin? In Binns' infernal class," – everyone rolled their eyes at the mention of the ghostly professor — "We learned about the founding of Hogwarts and old Salazar apparently thought pure-bloods were better than others. It seems a bit odd the Sorting Hat, which has got a bit of the old fart's brain in it, would put someone other than a Pureblood in there."

"Well…well Mum was in Slytherin and she told me all about it and her family, the Princes. She was the only child of the last of the line and I guess she wanted me to continue the family tradition." _And she also said that the Gryffindors tended to be arrogant and reckless, acting before thinking and spending far too much time playing Quidditch and far too little time on school._ Much as that applied to certain Gryffindors he could think of, he didn't want to offend Lily, so he racked his brain to come up with something diplomatic. "It's the only House I ever thought I'd join, so I guess I joined." He paused. "Now that I've spilled my guts, it's your turn." Although his face remained placid, there was an edge to his voice.

"Oh, I'm Half-Blood too," Anderson said casually. Snape felt his inner defenses relax. _Lots of the other Slytherin sneered at me for being Half-Blood_, he thought. _I thought he was doing that too._ He restrained himself from snorting. _You're being foolish. The other houses don't care so much._

Anderson continued on, oblivious to Snape's ruminations. "Dad's Muggle. He bloody near had a stroke when he came home from the office one day and found the dishes washing themselves." He smiled, as though he were recalling an amusing story.

_Lucky you that you can just laugh it off_, Snape thought. _Mum said Dad left the house and got roaring drunk when she showed him she was a witch and he did much the same thing when he figured out I was the same. Bobbies had to bring the git home and he threw things at Mum._

"You all right?" Anderson said. _Shit_, Snape thought. _Must've noticed I've been thinking._

"Nothing," Snape mumbled. _He seems to like talking about his folks—perhaps I'll bring it back to that._ He forced some cheer into his voice. "Hopefully he calmed down soon enough?"

Anderson nodded. "Yep. Took some convincing to get him to not go blabbing about it all the time though."

_You're lucky. You're father's proud of what you and your mum are. Doesn't look at you out of the corner of his eye like you're going to bite him, isn't afraid that your Mum will get bored with him and run off…_

"Sev?"

Lily's voice startled him out of his brooding. "Yes?"

"You okay?"

Snape did not answer. Lily turned to Anderson.

"Sensitive subject," she said simply. Snape barely repressed a scowl. _Gee thanks Lily._ _They'll figure that out quickly enough._

"Oh," Anderson said. "Sorry man."

Snape decided it would be a good idea to segue into another conversation. "My father's Muggle too, but he works in a mill, not an office. What does your dad do?"

Anderson must have gotten the hint. "He's an attorney of some kind. Not quite sure just what he does, although I think he might do some business for the Ministry on the side—Mum said Muggle spouses are often useful for taking care of wizard business in the Muggle world without risking giving us all away."

Snape nodded. "Makes sense. What does your Mum do?"

"Works part-time at a library, when she's not looking after the twins." At Snape's raised eyebrow, he elaborated. "I've got two younger brothers."

_Ah._ Snape was an only child; he did not know what it was like to have a sibling. He did have a couple of cousins on his father's side, Muggles, but they always thought him a bit spooky and generally avoided him.

_Plus Uncle Jack went to Uni and has a job with computers. His mill-worker brother probably embarrassed him._

Then he noticed how everything had gone quiet. _Stop it_, he interjected.

"Twins? Interesting. What're their names." _Hopefully this'll lighten the mood a little._

"Jimmy and Jacob. Father's got a thing for Js."

Snape raised an eyebrow. "Hmm…John, James, and Jacob. Perhaps you three could form a rock band."

Sarah Jewell laughed and soon Lily joined in. Snape allowed himself to smile again. _That certainly saved the situation._

"That gives me an idea," Jewell said. "I've got some lyrics for the songs…"

March 2nd, 1976

6:00 PM

"That ended better than it began," Snape said morosely as they made their way back towards the castle. "But I wonder if I'll be invited back?"

Lily rolled her eyes. "Oh stop that Sev," she said. "The thing about your parents was a minor thing and everyone forgot about within ten minutes. They won't stop being friends with you."

"I hope so, Lily."

_They actually seem to like me and I don't _think_ they're using me to get better marks._

Snape allowed himself to smile.

"I'm actually looking forward to the next study session…"


	4. Trouble Avoided

Trouble Avoided

**Trouble Avoided**

By Matthew W. Quinn

**Author's Note: Much of this chapter is adapted from "Snape's Worst Memory," pgs. 624-651 in **_**Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix**_. **That obviously belongs to J.K. Rowling.**

June 20th, 1976

11:30 AM

It turned out that Lily was right. Although the Gryffindor girls continued to give him a wide berth, the Ravenclaw trio continued to invite him to their study sessions and social gatherings. He still had to come back to the Slytherin common room every night and although most of them still continued to glare at him, none of them, not even Mulciber, tried to pick fights.

Then the O.W.L.s came and there was no more time for fun.

As Snape suspected, Divination proved to be a colossal pain, while Herbology and Charms proved to be tolerable. He'd even managed to impress his instructor by doing the Summoning Charm without his wand, something that it'd taken days of instruction of Ian and hours upon hours of practice on his own to do. Now Snape was taking his Defense Against the Dark Arts O.W.L., his favorite subject, and he thought he was doing quite well.

_I've answered pretty much all of the questions_, he thought with pride, and _probably better than any of the others_. A surreptitious glance showed that he'd written a foot more on his parchment than his neighbors and most of _them_ had larger handwriting than he did. _I think I'll definitely get an O on this one._

He decided to make one last check of his answers. His eyes scanned the paper, taking in werewolves, boggarts and…

"Quills down, please!" squeaked Professor Filius Flitwick. "That means you too, Stebbins. Please remain seating while I collect your parchment!" A flick of his wand, a cry of "Accio!" and over a hundred rolls of parchment hurtled through the air, knocking the diminutive professor off his feet. Snape suppressed a smile as two other students helped the little man back up.

"Thank you, thank you," Flitwick panted. "Very well everybody, you're free to go!"

Snape rose to his feet and stuffed his supplies into his bag. Then, he made his way towards the door leading outside.

_I'm meeting up with Ian and John down by the lake for some dueling practice prior to lunch and the second part of the test_. _Best not be late._

He made his way past the bushes where he'd ordinarily sit to review his O.W.L. towards the lake. He passed by a group of girls who'd taken their shoes and socks off to cool their feet in the lake and watch the friendly squid gamboling in the water.

"Hey Sev!" Lily called from within the group. He turned and smiled, careful to keep his mouth shut. He'd lately grown rather self-conscious about his uneven teeth. Lily waved to him, as did Sarah Jewell. Mary Macdonald and Kelly Andrews nodded to him and he nodded back.

"How'd the O.W.L. go?" Snape asked.

"It went well," Lily said. "I think I did better in Potions and Charms though."

"Makes sense," Snape said. "I…"

"I think I did well too," Sarah Jewell interrupted. "Some of that stuff you said about the Reductor curse was really quite helpful and…"

Snape spotted Lily looking uneasy again. _Bloody hell, we've been friends since we were nine. Surely she'd have gotten used to my interest in the Dark Arts by now._ "Glad I could be of service, Sarah," he said. "Now, have you seen your brother anywhere? We're supposed to meet up for…"

"Hey Severus!" John Anderson called from a few yards away. "We're over here!" Snape turned to see Anderson and the elder Jewell waiting by the lake.

"Well, business calls," Snape said. _Here's a thought._ He bowed to the girls and Lily and Sarah giggled. He reddened a bit—usually when people laughed, it was _at_ him—but allowed himself to smile. _I don't think they're laughing_ at _you this time_.

"Expelliarmus!" Anderson shouted before Snape could finish his bow, sending Snape's wand flying. "Don't be distracted!"

"Accio!" Snape shouted, focusing with all his might. The result gave him a slight headache, but his wand leaped back towards his hand. He spun, wand out. "Stupefy!" he called back.

"Protego!" Anderson shouted, but his shield wasn't strong enough — Snape's attack knocked him flat on his behind. Ian Jewell laughed, as did Lily and Sarah. Snape allowed himself a smile at this small triumph.

"Come on," Jewell said, helping Anderson to his feet. "Can't sit this one out."

Little did Snape know that he'd avoided a serious problem that day…

June 20th, 1976

11:30 AM

"I thought that paper was a piece of cake," Sirius Black said. "I'll be surprised if I don't get Outstanding on it at least."

"Me too," James Potter said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a struggling Golden Snitch.

"Where'd you get that?" Black asked.

"Nicked it," Potter said. _I don't think the Quidditch team will miss one Snitch, particularly if I can buy them a dozen more to replace it._

He released the Snitch and let it fly, then snagged it before it got a foot away. He noticed Peter Pettigrew watching him with awe. _Time to show off a bit_, James thought, a smile spreading across his face. He let the Snitch fly again, only to snag it before it had gotten two feet. Pettigrew applauded.

The foursome made their way into the shade of a beech tree. Lupin settled in beneath the tree and pulled out a textbook, while Black kept an eye on the gaggle of girls sitting by the lake. Potter continued playing with the Snitch, performing ever more elaborate moves.

"Put that away will you?" Sirius said after a particularly intricate move had elicited a cheer from Pettigrew. "Before Wormtail wets himself from excitement."

Potter was somewhat annoyed. _But I was having fun!_ Then he shrugged. _Suit yourself._ "If it bothers you," he said. He pocketed the Snitch.

Black let out a sigh. "I'm bored," he said. "Wish it was a full moon."

"You might," Lupin said, an edge in his voice. "We've still got Transfiguration to worry about. If you're bored, how about you test me?" He shoved his book at Black, who refused to take it.

"I don't need to look at that rubbish, I know it all."

Potter, however, had spotted someone who might be useful in entertaining his bored friend. _Snivellus!_ The Slytherin boy was making his way towards the lake, past the group of girls, as though he had somewhere to go.

_Not that he'd care about those girls_, Potter thought. _He loves only the Dark Arts._ Then he spotted that one of the girls cooling their feet in the water was Lily Evans and the two of them exchanged greetings as they passed._ Although he's definitely got a thing for Evans too._ He restrained himself from snorting. _She's a sensible girl, I doubt she'd go for some Death Eater wannabe._ Still, it might be a good idea to provoke the greasy git, make him do some Dark Magic. _That'll make it obvious that he's the poorer choice and that I, who hate Dark Magic and pureblood snobbery as much as she does, am the better man._ He grinned.

"This'll liven you up, Padfoot," Potter said. He pointed at Snape. "Look who it is."

Black turned and looked at the Slytherin boy, then looked back at James. "So?" he asked.

_What?_ Potter knew that Black's enthusiasm for tormenting the Slytherin boy had cooled over the last few weeks, but _surely_ he'd still be up for the usual fun.

"Come on, Padfoot. It's Snivellus! You know, a friend of your nasty cousin Bella." Potter knew how Black hated his other relatives, at least some of whom were Death Eaters. _That'll get him going._

"I doubt that. She and her ugly boyfriend _Roddy_" — Black made a disgusted face — "came by the house for Easter and she was raving about blood treason in the Slytherin House. I think she was referring to the arse-stomping that Snape administered to that bastard Mulciber."

Potter snorted. "You know how _Slytherins_ are. He wouldn't have given a damn if it was anyone other than Evans who got hexed. Come on, Padfoot. I picked up a new spell — one he invented, I'm told — and I want to try it out. Give the little bastard a taste of his own medicine."

"Umm," Lupin said from behind his book.

"What, Moony?" Potter asked. "Never noticed you to care before."

Lupin pointed. Snape had met up with some other boys near the lake. Potter squinted. _That's Anderson and that's Jewell, the Ravenclaw prefect. _ Evans had told him she'd introduced them soon after Snape's fight with Mulciber and, surprisingly, they'd hit it off. _Friends with someone other than his pureblood-fascist gang?_ _That's a surprise._ Still, one of them was a prefect, and he didn't have time for detention with O.W.L.s still going.

"All right, Padfoot, not today." Then Potter grinned. "How about we scare some firsties? They'll be so preoccupied with their test papers we might be able to sneak up on them."

Black smiled. "That works for me, Prongs." The two boys grinned for awhile and then set off back towards the Great Hall. Pettigrew giggled and scampered after them and Lupin, with a groan of exasperated resignation, put his book away and followed.


	5. Death Comes to Spinner's End

Death Comes to Spinner's End

**Death Comes to Spinner's End**

By Matthew W. Quinn

August 1st, 1976

3 PM

Eileen Prince Snape tugged at a particularly stubborn weed in her garden behind the Snape family home on Spinner's End. After a few tugs, the weed came out, although it left some of its roots behind. She reached over to her spade. _Have to dig that one out_, she thought.

As she picked up her spade, she cast a brief glance over to the spot nearby where she set her wand. _Best be on the safe side._ Since Severus had sent the owl home a few months back warning them about the possibility of attack by Death Eaters, Tobias had stopped periodically trying to hide her wand.

_Even he's got sense enough to know that we're in danger and we'll need all the help we can get._ He sometimes threatened to break her wand, when he got particularly drunk or angry, but Eileen suspected he wouldn't do that. The benefits her powers brought the household, particularly since Tobias's had spent longer between jobs as the mills started closing and he'd spent more and more of their savings at the pubs, were enough to stay her husband's hand.

_Would that common sense were enough to stay my son's._ Eileen liked Lily, even if she _was_ Muggle-born, but her son's behavior was reckless and foolish in the extreme. _Just like a Gryffindor_, she thought, barely restraining herself from snorting. _That girl's kind, pretty, and smart, but she's a bad influence._ She picked out the remains of the weed and tossed it in the pile nearby before scooting forward to excise the next one. It might've been better to use a hoe, but Tobias had pawned that help pay for repairs to their rather decrepit car, which he needed to get to his new job at the mill that wasn't on the bus line.

_If only he'd stop drinking, or at least drink less_. She knew he liked to take a nip before bed before she married him—it helped him sleep and kept the nightmares from Malaya and the Suez away—but in the last few years, it'd gotten worse and worse. She considered going down to Diagon Alley and buying some of the ingredients for a potion that would purge the effects of alcohol from his system, but money was tight — again — and she wanted to be sure to have enough on hand for Severus to afford books when classes at Hogwarts began again.

_At least Severus is helping out a bit._ The boy was never a particularly heavy sleeper and had gotten a Muggle job during the summer delivering newspapers. Muggles tended to be put on edge by her son — this applied even to her husband and his kin — but the man who ran the local paper was a reasonably tolerant sort.

She pulled out the next weed whole and was about to move forward to the next one when what sounded like a car backfiring erupted from a few feet behind her.

_Accio!_ Eileen summoned her wand. She'd set anti-intruder wards around their home soon after Severus told her about the fight with Mulciber, making sure they sounded like something that could be easily explained to the Muggle neighbors. _Hopefully it's something innocuous, like some peddler._

The rear door of the house banged open and Tobias Snape emerged, a beer in one hand and his old service pistol in the other. "Who's out there?" her husband demanded. "Your folk come calling?" Tobias wasn't the handsome young soldier he used to be—too much drink had broken the blood vessels in his face and given him a bit of a gut—but he was still muscular and, Eileen thought, frightening when angry.

"Tobias, not now," she said quickly. "Go back inside. This is beyond you."

Her husband raised his eyebrow at her sudden display of backbone. "No masked hooligan," he declared, "Is going to threaten _my_ wife or _my_ house."

_Oh no._ The foolish man's pride was going to get him killed. "Tobias, please. The wards are tied in with the local branch of the Ministry. Aurors will be here and…"

"They won't be here soon enough," a new voice growled and Eileen spun. Three figures clad in black robes and skull-like silver masks that obscured their faces stood there, wands out. "By the time they arrive, you will both be dead."

Tobias snorted. "Like hell."

One Death Eater stepped forward. "What do you propose to do, Muggle insect? Come at me with a sword or axe?" The Death Eater snorted. "I think I can easily handle that."

_Crack!_ Tobias's bullet slammed into the Death Eater's throat and the man went down gurgling. Behind the Death Eater, Eileen could see a hole in a nearby tree where the bullet had buried itself after punching through the back of his head.

Things started moving faster after that. "Imperio!" one of them shouted, jabbing with his wand at Tobias. A blank, glazed look came over Tobias's face.

"Kill her," the Death Eater ordered. "Kill your wife."

Tobias turned towards his wife, expression totally blank. "Tobias…" she began. She knew it was possible to resist Imperius, if one had a strong enough will. "Tobias, please…"

The other Death Eater snickered. "He's not the one you should be begging for mercy, you blood traitor whore." Tobias raised his pistol, finger already depressing the trigger…

Then a new voice shouted "Stupefy!"

_Severus…_

August 1st, 1976

3:10 PM

The first of August had started out as a good day for Severus Snape. He'd delivered his batch of newspapers before sunup before coming home to a rather peaceable breakfast with Mum. Father was passed out on the sofa, which at least meant he wasn't grouching about something or another.

Then he'd gone off to see Lily and they'd spent a wonderful morning ambling around the park and the woods nearby before returning to the Evanses for a spot of lunch. Then she had to go—Petunia needed help moving in her new apartment near where she went to Uni—and Snape delivered the afternoon batch of papers before heading back to Spinner's End in a good mood.

Then he saw the fallen Death Eater and Father, a blank look in his eyes, moving to shoot Mum. _They must have him under Imperius, _he thought. However unpleasant he might be to Mum, he'd never try to kill her of his own free will.

"Stupefy!" The spell slammed Tobias into the ground and the bullet meant for Mum buried itself in the ground, but it alerted the pair of Death Eaters. One of them stepped forward, facing Snape.

"Severus Snape," a voice that sounded an awful lot like his classmate and onetime friend Mulciber's said, "The time of reckoning comes at last. You hurt my son, you little blood traitor, and now you're going to pay. Expelliarmus!"

The wand leaped out of Snape's hand before he could react, but he was able to save the situation. "Accio!" he shouted, pulling the wand back to him. _Now to show these bastards what I'm capable of._

"Accio, Death Eater's wand!" he shouted, snatching the wand from Mulciber Sr. He dove to the side as the second Death Eater hurled a curse at him, catching the elder Mulciber's wand in the process.

"SECTUMSEMPRA!" he shouted, making slashing motions with both wands at the same time. He still didn't have the countercurse worked out all the way, but he didn't think Dumbledore or the Ministry would object to an unhealable wound on these people.

Two flashes of light stabbed at the elder Mulciber and two long, deep cuts appeared on his chest and stomach. He cried out in pain and staggered, but stayed on his feet. Snape rolled to the side, dodging another curse, and struck again, cutting two more wounds in the Death Eater's torso. _Maybe I'll be able to scissor one of his hands off._

"Expelliarmus!" the second Death Eater shouted and Mulciber's wand leaped out of his hand.

"Confrigo!" Snape shouted, stabbing his wand at the other Death Eater.

"Protego!" the man shouted before roaring "Avada Kedavra!" A jet of green light hurtled towards Snape, roaring like a train. Snape managed to roll out of the way, barely. _Damn and blast, the bastard's playing for keeps._ Of course, if they were willing to murder Mum…

"Sectumsempra!" he shouted again, slashing at the Death Eater's wand hand. The Death Eater managed to block the spell.

"You'll have to do better than that, boy!" the man roared. He moved to curse Snape…

"Stupefy!" The men went tumbling and Snape saw his mother standing there, an unfamiliar fierce look on her face.

"Thanks, Mum."

"Stupefy!" Something slammed into Snape from behind and hurtled him forward. He slammed into the earth—smashing some of Mum's plants, he noticed—and his vision was red with pain.

"So the Muggle lover hasn't forgotten magic after all," Mulciber Sr. growled. "I'll grant you one favor—a death on your feet."

_No!_ Snape shouted mentally, struggling to stand. A second later, he heard Mulciber shout "Expelliarmus" and heard Eileen's wand hitting the ground nearby. This gave him extra impetus and he managed to pull himself onto his knees.

"Down, boy!" Mulciber Sr. shouted. "Stupefy!"

"Protego!" The shield held, barely, but the force of the attack knocked Snape onto his back.

"I'll make you watch while I kill your mother," the older man snarled. "Then I'll do you. Avada Keda…"

"Stupefy!" a new voice shouted. Snape's eyes went wide. _Oh no._ It was Lily!

"What the…" Lily's spell sent Mulciber staggering sideways, enabling Snape to get up and recover his wand.

"Lily!" Snape shouted. "What are you doing here?"

"Not now, Sev!" she shouted back. "They're getting back up!" Both Mulciber Sr. and the other Death Eater were rising to their feet. Their masked faces were inexpressive but Snape could see their eyes and he could tell they were seriously pissed off.

"My son warned me I might have to deal with you too, _Mudblood_," Mulciber Sr. snarled. "I welcome the opportunity to destroy three enemies of the Dark Lord."

"Sectumsempra!" Snape shouted, slashing at Mulciber's wand hand. The Death Eater cried out, blood spraying everywhere. Beside him, he could hear Lily and Eileen both shout "Stupefy!" together, sending the second Death Eater tumbling.

"Avada Kedavra!" Snape saw the green light and heard the roar and threw himself down. He felt something unbelievably hot passing through where he had stood a moment later, death missing by inches. _Mulciber's not out yet._ Snape had seen his spell slash the Death Eater's wrist—perhaps he was using the wand in his other hand.

Snape's riposte was quick and brutal. "Sectumsempra!" The curse struck the elder Mulciber's other hand. _Both his hands are crippled now_. He watched as the Death Eater sank to his knees and then rolled over onto his side. _What's going on?_

Then he didn't have time to think—the other Death Eater was back on his feet. The remaining Dark wizard swung his wand, readying another curse….

CRACK! CRACK! Snape's eyes leaped to the source of the noise and saw two more wizards standing there, wands out. He nearly panicked until he saw that the newcomers weren't wearing black robes and masks. The two new wizards leaped forward, wands out, and Snape saw the Death Eater recoil.

_Aurors!_

"Shit!" the remaining Death Eater shouted.

"What?" Tobias Snape moaned. _Just like him to sleep through the bloody fight_. The older man struggled to his feet. "More of these people. I'll…"

The Death Eater didn't give him time to do more than threaten. "Reducto!" the man shouted and Tobias sank onto the ground with a scream, broken bone erupting from his shattered leg.

"Reducto!" the Dark wizard shouted again and it was Eileen's turn to fall screaming. Snape saw blood trickling out of her mouth. _Mum!_

"Stupefy!" one of the Aurors shouted, but the Death Eater deflected the spell before Disapparating.

"Mum!" Snape shouted, rushing over to his fallen mother. Her body seemed somewhat lumpy, as if the Death Eaters' attack had smashed ribs and collarbone.

"Out of the way, boy," one of the Aurors shouted, shoving Snape out of the way to kneel beside Eileen.

_The bastard!_ Snape turned on him, anger twisting his features.

"Sev!" he heard Lily shout. "He's healing her!" Snape looked and saw that his friend was right—the Auror was tracing his wand over his mother's body, smoothing out the damaged areas. On the other side of the garden, Snape could see the other Auror beside Tobias, tending his shattered leg.

Unlike his wife, who remained silent except for the occasional moan, Tobias couldn't keep his mouth shut.

"Damnable terrorist bastard! If he comes round again, I'll…"

"Can I Stun this one, Frank?" the second Auror asked. "He's raving. Silly Muggle." Snape rolled his eyes. He had ample experience with his father and his rages and he sympathized with the other wizard.

"I don't think so," the Auror named Frank said. "And he's the woman's husband and the boy's father, so you can't let the Obliviators have their way with him either." The Auror returned his attention to Eileen.

"Damn it," he said. "This'll require help from St. Mungo's."

"What?" Snape shouted.

"Not now, Sev," Lily said.

"Expecto Patronum!" the Auror named Frank shouted. A flick of his wand sent a silver tiger bounding away.

"Tell them to send more than one," the other Auror called. "I can fix some of the damage to the leg, but not all of it."

"Damn and blast!" Tobias shouted. "If you can't fix that, what good…"

"Can I _please_ Stun him, Frank?"

"Nope. You can take a look at the two Death Eaters though. Much as we'd like them dead, if we take them back alive, we might be able to wring some information out of them."

The second Auror rose and made his way over to one of the fallen Death Eaters. He briefly knelt by the man before looking at Frank.

"This one's dead. Looks like the Muggle killed him." He turned to Tobias. "Good job there."

Tobias managed to smile despite his pain. "Thanks. Bastard put up less of a fight than some of the terrs back in Malaya. I think that…"

The second Auror was already ignoring him, instead stepping over to Mulciber Sr. "This one's dead too. Looks like blood loss."

_What?_ Snape rushed over to the fallen Death Eater. "He's dead, really…"

The second Auror nodded. "Take a look." He pointed to the dead man's left wrist, then his right.

"He's cut up pretty bad, but the killing blows were to the wrists. Blood loss. You know what happened?"

Snape gulped and decided, despite his reservations, to tell the Auror the truth. "I…I did that. My own spell." He looked at the dead Death Eater, saw the man surrounded by pools of blood already soaking into the earth, feeding his mother's tomatoes…

The next thing he knew, Snape was on his knees, trying desperately to keep the pleasant lunch he'd had with the Evanses down. He felt the Auror lay a hand on his shoulder. "Happens to the best of us, young man. Don't worry—it's a pretty obvious case of self-defense. Though I'd like to learn just how you did it…"

Snape opened his eyes and found he was looking straight at the elder Mulciber's torso. His spell had cut several deep gouges and Snape could see ribs and even what might have been the man's liver peeking out.

This was too much. Snape lost control entirely and threw up all over the dead man.

"Sev," a voice beside him said. He felt Lily put her arms around him. "Sev, it's all right…"

Snape moaned. He'd known academically the damage his curse could inflict, but seeing it actually _done_…

He gagged again, but there was nothing left to throw up.

CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! Out of the corner of his eye, Snape could see a Mediwizard and a pair of Mediwitches Apparate in. They quickly rushed over to his parents. After a moment conferring, the medical personnel Apparated away, taking Snape's parents with them.

"Where are they taking them?"

"St. Mungo's," the Auror said. "Your mother's more hurt than your father. We should know what condition they're in once we get statements from you and your friend here about what actually happened. I think it's best we head over to the Ministry."

"What?" Snape asked. "What about…"

The other Auror had slid his arm around Snape and he spotted Frank doing the same to Lily. Then with a pair of CRACKS, they were gone…

August 1st, 1976

6:45 PM

After having being asked the same set of questions several times, the Aurors were finally done and Snape and Lily could go home. The Auror named Frank and his partner — who it turned out was named Logan — Apparated them back to Spinner's End.

"We'll have Aurors posted near both your homes for the next few days, just in case they try to come back," Frank said. "By the way, both your parents have been stabilized. Not sure when they'll be released—the Reductor curse is pretty damn destructive one, especially when applied directly to a person—but we've got our top people working on them."

The Aurors then turned to go, but the Auror named Frank briefly turned back to him.

"By the way," he said. "Good job back there. Most wizards and witches wouldn't last long at all against Death Eaters, but you two were able to see them off quite well." He thought for a moment. "You know, I think there was actually a reward out for Mr. Mulciber. I'll be sure you get it."

"Thanks," Snape said weakly. Although his rational mind told him that killing the elder Mulciber was necessary, his gorge rose again at the thought of the wounds he'd inflicted. It took a supreme act of will, but he kept himself from throwing up again.

CRACK! CRACK! The two Aurors were gone, leaving Snape and Lily alone in the backyard. Silence hung on the air for a long time before Snape asked the question that had been bugging him since the battle that afternoon.

"Lily," he began. "Why'd you come by?" He didn't think he could go on living if she ever came to harm, although he certainly appreciated the help she provided. _Bastard might have killed Mum._

Lily gave a small smile. "When my parents and I got back from helping Tuney, there was an owl waiting for me." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a rumpled piece of parchment. "Guess who's going to be a Gryffindor prefect next year?"

Despite his mood, Snape smiled. _Perhaps she'll be able to keep Potter and his gang under control._ "That's great, Lily! Congratulations. Got any fun plans to celebrate?"

Lily shook her head. "Mum and Dad wanted to take me out to dinner, but I don't really feel like eating. Not after…this."

Then she looked Snape straight in the eye. "What was it that you did to him?"

Part of Snape recoiled at the undercurrent of horror of her voice. _He would have bloody well killed all three of us!_ But she was his friend and he would be honest with her.

"Sectumsempra," he said quietly.

"What's that?"

"A spell I invented, a war-spell." Anger spilled out of his soul and his jaw set. "_Potter_ and his friends are always ganging up on me and I needed an advantage. I figure a spell that cuts like a sword would cut the wankers down to size."

Lily's jaw dropped, but before she could say anything, Snape continued. "That one Death Eater is likely jacking his jaw to the Dark Lord and he'll remember you were here. You and your family are likely targets now."

He drew in a breath. "I can teach you the spell, if you'd like. I haven't quite figured out how to reverse it, but given the people you or I would use it on, I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing." Images of the mutilated Death Eater returned to his mind, but he forced them away. _There's no time for weakness, not anymore._

She shook her head. "Sev, that was Dark Magic," she said, sounding rather disgusted.

"I know," he said. "But it worked, didn't it? Cut the little bastard right…" The images of the fallen Death Eater pushed their way forward again and Snape couldn't keep them away. Despite his best effort, he felt tears forcing themselves out of his eyes. "It was necessary," he said, voice growing smaller.

Though his vision was blurred, he could see Lily coming forward and felt her arms slide around him. "It's okay, Sev," she said, compassion replacing revulsion in her voice. "It's okay."

They stood there in his backyard for a long time.


	6. Rematch

**Rematch**

By Matthew W. Quinn

September 27th, 1976

12:30 PM

"I heard he killed three Death Eaters over the summer," the girl with the Hufflepuff tie whispered.

"No, just two," replied a boy who also wore a Hufflepuff tie. "The other ran off."

"That's a shock. A Slytherin, fighting _against_ Death Eaters?" a girl in a Gryffindor tie said. "I wouldn't believe it, but it was in _The Prophet_…"

"I'm afraid of him," another girl said. "He killed someone."

"Yes, but he is kind of cute, in an unkempt kind of way…"

Severus Snape felt the eyes of everyone in the corridor on him as he headed to the Great Hall for lunch after Potions class. Some of their comments made him blush and he quickened his pace, eager to get away.

"Just ignore them, Severus," John Anderson said. "There'll be a big Quidditch match or concert somewhere and they'll find something else to talk about."

"I'm glad," Snape replied.

The pair walked along in silence for a moment. "You never told me what you're going to do with the gold you got for killing Mulciber's dad."

The image of Mulciber bleeding out into his mother's garden made an unwanted return to his mind, but he pushed it away.

"Well, I chipped in some of it to help the folks out," Snape replied. "But the Ministry gave Father some money for killing that other Death Eater and so I've still got plenty left." _He actually did something remotely useful with the reward once Mum converted it to Muggle money, instead of spending it all at the pub._ The car didn't make the unpleasant noises it usually did, electricity suddenly became more reliable, and he and Mum had the supplies she needed to make some very useful Potions. Much as Snape disliked his father, he found himself slightly proud._ Perhaps that Death Eater knocked some sense into him._

Snape pursed his lips. "Not sure what I'll do with the rest, exactly. Perhaps save it for a rainy day." He frowned. _With the war on, there'll be rainy days aplenty._

Anderson leaned in closer. "You know, speaking as a friend of course, it might be a good idea for you to spend some of that on your teeth."

_WHAT?_ Snape pulled away from Anderson. "Nothing's wrong with my teeth!" He knew darn well that wasn't the case, but he wasn't interested in having other people — even friends — point that out so bluntly.

"I mean," Anderson backtracked a little, "There are these girls I know who think that you're kind of cute, until you smile."

Snape scowled. _He's right, you know_. "Perhaps. I suppose I'll look into it over the holidays."

He decided to quickly change the subject. "How's Ian doing these days?" _Haven't seen much of him, now that he's been made Head Boy._

Anderson shrugged. "I haven't seen much of him either since he moved out of the common room. Much like you haven't seen much of that twit Mulciber, I would imagine."

Snape nodded. Mulciber had been moved to a room of his own elsewhere for the coming year. The Headmaster, a Gryffindor, didn't care as much as he ought about the Slytherin House, but even he knew that keeping Snape and Mulciber separate was a very good idea.

_Of course, that doesn't explain who's been trying to break the wards on my bed_, Snape thought, barely repressing a yawn. Over the last few nights, someone had been trying to get to him. Luckily, they lacked the skills to remove the wards and…

"Stupefy!" someone shouted and both Snape and Anderson leaped back, bursts of crimson light leaping between them. They spun towards the source of the attack, wands out.

_Mulciber_, Snape observed. _I was expecting this_. Unfortunately, Mulciber wasn't alone. Avery was with him.

_Avery? Now this is a surprise._ He had figured the other Slytherin wouldn't have the guts to actually get involved in a fight. Gears turned within Snape's brain and he realized that it must have been Avery testing the defenses of his warded bed the last few nights. _Perhaps he was trying to keep me from sleeping, tire me out and make me more vulnerable._

"Stupefy!" Anderson shouted. Mulciber shielded himself from the charm, while Avery struck at Snape.

"Protego!" Snape shouted, deflecting the other Slytherin's attack. "Sectumsempra!" Avery managed to largely deflect that, although Snape could swear he saw a small cut appear on his wand hand.

"Reducto! Depulso!" Mulciber shouted, smashing the stonework in front of Anderson and Snape and sending bricks hurtling their way. The two shielded themselves as best they could, but chunks of stone hit them and sent the both staggering.

"Stupefy!" Avery shouted. Anderson, weakened from the rock bombardment, went flying, leaving the two Slytherin free to focus their attention on Snape.

"You killed my dad, you blood traitor bastard," Mulciber growled. "Now it's time to pay."

September 27th, 1976

12:33 PM

"So, how do you think you did on the Charms test?" James Potter asked.

"Well, I think," Lily Evans said. She swished her wand a bit. "The wand's good for Charms, I'm told."

"Interesting. What's it made of?"

_Wow. I'm have a real conversation with Potter_, she thought, amused and a bit astonished. Only a few months ago, she would have never thought this possible.

"Swishy willow," she said.

"Mine's mahogany," he said. "I'm told it's good for Transfiguration."

He waved his wand. _Oh no_, she thought. _He'd better not hex another student or I'll have to punish him…_

James stabbed at a book someone had dropped on the ground and it transformed into a beaver. The animal looked around, dazed, before James gestured again and returned it to its original form.

"Accio!" The book leaped into Potter's hand and he tossed it to Lily.

"Best try to find the original owner, Miss Perfect Prefect," he said. "Lupin's always…"

Suddenly, a plump second-year wearing a Hufflepuff tie interrupted them.

"Prefect Evans," the younger boy gasped, clearly out of breath.

"Lily," she said. "Call me Lily."

"Okay, Lily," the Hufflepuff said. "There's a fight going on near the Great Hall. Four boys, two on each side."

_Uh-oh._ Sev had told her that someone was bothering him at night. It couldn't have been Mulciber, though, so she assumed it was some younger Slytherin with something to prove.

"Who's fighting? Do you know?"

The boy shook his head. "I just got a glimpse. Three Slytherins and one Ravenclaw. One of the Slytherins was pretty big."

_Oh crap. It's probably Sev and John against Mulciber and someone else._

"We'll be right along." She turned to James. "What are you staring at? Come on."

The two Gryffindors rushed towards the fight.

September 27th, 1976 AD

12:35 PM

The other Slytherins pressed their attack, two against one. Snape narrowed his eyes, calculating. _I've faced worse_, he thought, thinking of the many times the Marauders had jumped him.

"Confrigo!" both of them shouted, sending silvery bursts of magic at him. Snape ducked beneath one and deflected the other, moving like a dancing cobra.

"Oh come on," Snape taunted. "Is that the best you can do?" He grinned at Mulciber. "Your dad did better, I think." He still didn't like thinking about the duel at Spinner's End, but he knew it would anger Mulciber and perhaps tempt him into doing something stupid.

"You son of a bitch!" Mulciber roared. He charged, firing Stunning spells as he went, and forced Snape away from Anderson, who was still groggy on the ground.

Snape noticed Avery moving towards the fallen Ravenclaw. _Got to put a stop to this._

"Sectumsempra!" he shouted, slashing Mulciber across his broad chest and slowing his charge. "Sectumsempra!" he shouted again and Avery recoiled, clutching at his slashed arm. _That'll teach you to mess with the Half Blood Prince_.

"Confrigo!" Snape wasn't quick enough and one of Mulciber's spells sent him tumbling. Snape scrambled back as soon as he hit the ground, narrowly avoiding a stomp from Mulciber that would have broken several ribs.

"Stupefy!" Snape still had his wand and was able to hit the other Slytherin at close range, too close for him to dodge. Mulciber tumbled back and Snape pulled himself to his feet. He fixed his gaze on Avery.

As soon as Avery saw his glare, he leaped onto Anderson and jammed his wand into the latter's throat. "Don't come any closer, you blood traitor," he warned.

Snape narrowed his eyes. He'd always known that Avery was the weaker of the two, but now that Mulciber was out of the picture (at least for the moment), the other Slytherin might well do something desperate.

_I could strike his wand hand just like I did Mulciber's dad_. _He can't curse John if he can't make the wand motions._

"Don't trying anything!" Avery warned. He gestured threateningly with his wand.

"Expelliarmus!" someone else shouted and Avery's wand leaped out of his hand. Anderson took the opportunity to scramble away and reclaim his own wand.

Snape's eyes leaped behind him, to see who it was.

_Potter? What the hell?_

It was Potter—_and Lily_—and they were coming down the hall, wands out.

"We came as quickly as we can," Lily said.

_We? Who's _we

"Look out!" Potter shouted and Snape spun to see Mulciber rising to his feet. Avery took advantage of this to reclaim his wand and the two Slytherins faced off against their opponents.

"Hello Mudlbood," Mulciber said, leering at Lily. "Blood traitor," he said to James.

Potter scowled at Mulciber's slur. "Stuff it, you little Death Eater."

"Stupefy!" Avery shouted and the battle was on again. Still, four on two was bad odds and although Snape refrained from using Sectumsempra in front of Lily, the four slowly forced the two rogue Slytherins back down the corridor. Soon, they had them back into a corner.

"I think the Headmaster's going to want to have a long chat with you," Lily said, going into prefect mode. "Unprovoked attacks on other students and all…"

A horrible hateful expression crossed Mulciber's face.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" Snape briefly saw a look of horror crossing Avery's face as the jet of green light erupted from Mulciber's wand. Snape's eyes traced the trajectory.

_It's either going to hit James or Lily_, he thought. He wouldn't miss James, but the thought of Lily lying dead on the floor, the light going out of her brilliant green eyes, was enough to get him moving.

Snape jumped, slamming into James and Lily like a Muggle guided missile. He felt something terrible and hot rip through his robes, death missing him by an inch.

The three of the toppled to the ground, with Snape on top. Snape looked up to see Mulciber rushing towards them, dragging a shocked Avery behind him. The two Slytherins looked more intent on flight then further combat, but Avery found the opportunity to kick Snape on the way out.

"Gerroff," James snapped at Snape. "They're getting away!" He pushed himself to his feet, knocking Snape aside, snatched up his wand, and rushed after them. Anderson took off with him.

_Not even so much as a thank-you? I just saved your life, you Quidditch hooligan_, he thought as he scrambled to his feet Then his attention leaped onto Lily.

"You all right?" he asked. He'd landed on top of James who landed on top of Lily and he suspected that couldn't be comfortable for Lily.

"Yep," Lily said.

He reached down and helped her to her feet. "Did he just try to cast the Killing Curse?" she asked.

Snape nodded. "He didn't just try, Lily."

Lily narrowed her eyes. "Where's James?"

Snape barely suppressed a scowl. _Why does she care?_

"He's off chasing Avery and Mulciber. They went down the corridor there." He pointed to the corridor that led back towards the Potions classroom.

Lily's reaction was immediate. "Well, come on!" she said. She grabbed Snape's hand and took off running, dragging him along.

_Much as I'd like to hold hands with you, Lily, these are hardly the most auspicious circumstances._ He pulled his hand away from her.

"I can get there on my own, thank you."

They were able to catch up with James and Anderson quickly enough. The two were engaged in a running duel with the Slytherins. Although both sides cast curses at each other with vigorous aplomb, neither were able to score decisive hits on anything except the walls and an occasional bystander.

"Impedimenta!" James shouted, casting the spell at the slower-moving Mulciber, but Avery was able to deflect it.

"Confrigo!" Avery shouted back, knocking James backward before resuming his full pace.

"Levicorpus!" Mulciber shouted and spell snatched Anderson rose into the air by his foot.

_Amateur. The spell's supposed to be non-verbal! _Snape cast the countercurse and Anderson dropped onto the stone floor as he and Lily passed.

"Thanks," Anderson called out from behind them.

_Where are they going?_ Snape thought. _They're going deeper into the castle, not towards any of the exits._

His question was answered soon enough when they both turned into an empty classroom and slammed the door shut. Potter got to the door first and tore at it, but it wouldn't open.

_Probably Charmed shut_, Snape thought. "Get out of the way!" he shouted. _I'll have to blast it down._

For once in his life, Potter did as asked without complaint.

"Reducto!"

The door shattered and Potter was the first one through, with Snape and Lily in afterwards and Anderson coming through behind them.

Barely a second after the foursome passed through the door, Avery and Mulciber grabbed onto an innocuous-looking chair and vanished.

_It's a Portkey!_ Successfully created a Portkey required magic well in advance of anything that Avery and Mulciber — or for that matter, Snape himself — could do.

_This was planned_, Snape thought, before something else got in the way.

"Come on!" Potter shouted. "They won't be able to get too far." He rushed for the Portkey, Lily close behind.

_No!_ The Portkey's path likely led somewhere unpleasant. Snape would have liked to see Potter at the bad end of four-on-one — or worse — odds but he wasn't going to let him lead Lily into a nest of Death Eaters.

"Confrigo!" Snape's spell knocked the chair away from Potter before he could grab hold of it.

Potter turned on Snape, anger in his eyes. "What the hell, Snivellus? Do you want those bastards to _escape_?"

Snape scowled. "Why don't you think for a moment instead of just jumping in, Potter? Where do you think they're escaping _to_?"

Potter scowled and made to grab for the Portkey, but Lily grabbed his arm. "Sev's right. If they've got a Portkey, this was obviously planned in advance." Potter stared at Lily for a moment. "And if they've planned in advance, surely they've got a safe route of retreat."

Realization dawned on Potter's face. "Oh." Then, somewhat more humble. "Thanks, Lily."

_You're thanking_ her? _It was _me_ who prevented you both from walking right into a Death Eater trap!_

Then the voice of Albus Dumbledore grabbed their attention.

"What just happened here?"

September 27th, 1976 AD

6:45 PM

Between having to give testimony to both Headmaster Dumbledore and to a pair of Aurors who showed up shortly afterward, their remaining classes, and a prefect's meeting, neither Snape nor Lily had any time to discuss what had happened that afternoon.

Now, seated in a disused classroom with the Potions they were practicing simmering in a nearby cauldron, Snape decided it was a good time to discuss the matter.

"Thanks for coming to help," Snape said. _Although I would rather you not have brought Potter._

"No problem," Lily said. "You certainly won't have to worry about Mulciber anymore, and if Avery was the one trying to attack you in your bed the last few nights, I think you'll be sleeping better."

Snape nodded. "I hope so." He decided to change the subject to something a bit more pleasant.

"So, how was that Charms test?"

Lily smiled. "It went well. I think I'll definitely do a N.E.W.T. in that, along with Potions. When's your section's next test?"

"I think sometime next week. Do you recall what Charms you were tested on?"

Lily screwed up her face thinking for a moment. "Aguamenti, for one. In the aftermath of all that's been happening, Professor Flitwick wanted us all to practice the Shield charm too."

She shook her head. "It's strange, Sev. The war barely touched us our first few years here, but then the Death Eaters attacked your house and now Avery and Mulciber tried to _kill_ James and me…" She looked at Snape. "I wasn't happy you fought with Mulciber, but now I'm somewhat glad. If that hadn't happened, you might well have run off to join You-Know-Who along with them."

_That reminds me..._ "I meant to ask this earlier, but I didn't get the chance. How'd you and Potter get involved?"

"Oh, we were just talking," Lily said. "Then this Hufflepuff runs up, cute little bloke, and says there's a fight. I figured Mulciber'd finally made his move and came running. James came along too." She smiled. "We're Gryffindors, Sev. What'd you expect?"

Snape raised an eyebrow. "Just talking?"

Lily's expression darkened and she put her hands on her hips. "What's it to you?" she asked, a challenge in her voice.

_Uh-oh_, Snape thought. _You're in trouble now._

"J—just curious. I thought you two didn't get along." He forced himself to smile. "In fact, I thought your favorite description of him involved the word 'toerag.'"

"He's gotten better since we've gotten back to Hogwarts," Lily said, relaxing slightly. "He doesn't talk about Quidditch and all the great things he's done while playing Quidditch as much and he's stopping doing that annoying thing with his hair. And," she looked at him, "He hasn't hexed you lately, has he?"

"Well…no." _Although it's not because the wanker's reformed_, Snape thought darkly. _If I weren't friends with a Gryffindor prefect he doesn't — yet — have in his pocket and the Head Boy, I bet they'd have had a go at me already._

"I haven't seen him hex any others lately either. I really think he's growing up." She made a face. "Took him long enough."

Snape scowled. "He's had it out for me since that day on the train," Snape said. "If I weren't friends with you and Ian, I think he'd be a bit braver."

Lily's hands returned to her hips. "There's no need hold grudges, Severus," she said.

"I'm not…" he begun, then thought better of it. Gears were already turning his head. _She's friendlier with Potter. This is a bad sign. Perhaps I really will have my teeth fixed._

"Well then. What else is on that Charms test?"


	7. Punishing the Greasy Git

**Punishing the Greasy Git**

By Matthew W. Quinn

October 20th, 1976 AD

8:30 PM

"I can't _believe_ she is still friends with that greaseball," James Potter declared. "Even though he's a Slytherin and uses Dark Magic and all that!" He sank into a chair in the Gryffindor common room, arms crossed and a scowl on his face.

"No need to lose your temper, Prongs," Remus Lupin murmured. "She's certainly been friendlier to you lately. Even joined you for ice cream during the Hogsmeade weekend."

Potter exhaled, relaxing slightly. "A fair point, Moony. Thing is, would she have agreed to eat ice cream with me if Snivellus weren't holed up somewhere with some experiment of his?" He snorted. "Bet he's testing out that slashing spell of his on some poor animal down in the dungeon."

_Second choice_, Potter thought to himself. _Second choice to some greasy-haired hooked-nosed loser who still might go Dark._

"You still think he'll go Dark, mate?" Sirius Black said. When Potter glared at him, Black recoiled slightly, but continued speaking. "He killed that wanker Mulciber's dad over the summer and helped you run Avery and Mulciber off. I bet You-Know-Who has got a curse-on-sight order on him."

Potter scowled. "You can go Dark and not be a Death Eater," he said. "The Headmaster fought a Dark wizard named Grindelwald who wasn't a Pureblood snob like You-Know-Who." He snorted. "And there's no guarantee Snape's rejected that Pureblood crap."

Lupin raised an eyebrow. "How's that?"

"He was fine running with a bunch of Death Eater wannabes until Mulciber—who was his friend then—hexed Lily. Snivellus attacked him then and got dragged off by Malfoy." Potter's expression darkened when he mentioned the older Slytherin, who delighted in punishing him and his friends when he was prefect and, later, as Head Boy. "He hasn't stopped looking down on Muggle-borns, he's just angry that _his_ Muggle-born got hurt."

"I wouldn't know about that, Prongs," Lupin said. "Mary's seen a lot of him since he joined that study group with Lily and those Ravenclaws and she hasn't heard him call her or anyone else Mud—"

"Don't say that word!" Potter snapped. "And Mary's not Muggle-born, strictly speaking. Her Dad's a wizard, even though her Mum's Muggle."

"It's grandparents that matter Prongs, grandparents," Black said. "It's not how many wizard parents you've got, it's wizard grandparents. To a Pureblood snob, a Muggle-born wizard is essentially a Muggle and her Dad's Muggle-born, so in their eyes, so is she. I should know; I still have to go home to Death Eater supporters every summer."

"Just whose side are you on Padfoot?" Potter said.

"The side of Light against Dark, Prongs, and I'm not convinced anymore Snape will go Dark."

_This is getting nowhere_, James thought. "Aye, but I can't stand to look at him anymore. Ever since he got back from the summer and _especially_ since the fight with Avery and Mulciber—a fight he had _my_ help in, I might add—he's been getting too big for his robes."

Black smiled and Potter felt his heart lighten. "I'll give you that," Black said. "He's getting a bit jumped up lately, I think."

_Yes he is. I'd like to put him back down again._

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking, Padfoot?"

Before Black could respond, Lupin interrupted. "He did save your life, mate. Threw you and Lily out of the way when Mulciber cast that Unforgivable and damn near got hit with it himself. And he _did_ stop you and Lily from taking the Portkey right into a nest of Death Eaters." At Potter's glare, Lupin quickly added, "So I've heard."

Potter sighed. _I hate to admit it, but…_ "Yes Moony, he did." He scowled. _He might have been hedging his bets—fight Avery and Mulciber but keep Lily and me from pursuing them._ However, the more he thought about it, the more he realized that the Portkey could have easily been a trap—after all, the Portkey had stayed in the classroom, as if it was _daring_ someone to try their luck.

He sighed. "This means I can't hold the business with the Shrieking Shack over his head anymore. This means, as far as life-saving is concerned" — his scowl deepened — "We're _even_."

"Is that so bad?" Lupin murmured. "Pride comes before the fall, Prongs."

Potter continued scowling. He recognized the truth of Lupin's words on an intellectual level, but a deeper part of him wanted to find ways of proving himself superior to that Slytherin snake.

"Let's see what the little bastard is up to."

Potter reached into his robes and pulled out the Marauder's Map. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," he said and the map bloomed to life beneath his eyes. His eyes swept the parchment until he found his target.

_There you are_. Snape was in a disused classroom. Potter's face fell when he saw that Lily was there with him.

_I hope they're not snogging. He might well poke her eye out with that big greasy nose of his_. The disgusting image filled his head and he banished it with a wince.

"Prongs," Lupin said. "This is foolish. Why don't we just study for that Transfigurations test…"

Potter snorted. "This is far more important."

"More important than school? Prongs…"

"If you can't say something helpful, don't say anything at all," Potter snapped. Lupin fell silent.

Potter returned his gaze to the map. _Yes._ The dots marked "Severus Snape" and "Lily Evans" were moving now. Lily left the room and started moving towards Gryffindor Tower, while Snape left the classroom and began making his way, rather than to the Slytherin dormitory, towards the castle walls.

_Planning on a moonlit stroll? I'll make it a night to remember._

"He and Lily have parted company," Potter said. "Anyone up for a little Snivellus baiting? Raise your hand."

For a long moment, nobody responded. Then Pettigrew raised his hand hesitantly.

"I am."

"Thanks Wormtail." Potter's gaze fell on Lupin and Black. "Padfoot, Moony?"

Lupin stayed quiet, but Black spoke up. "If this is about Evans, mate, I'd reconsider. I've dated lots of girls and I figure he who cares least wins. Just take it slow, be patient, and she'll come to you. By the look of it, she's already coming your way…"

"Yeah, but she and Snape have known each other a whole hell of a lot longer. She wouldn't even call me by my first bloody name. I think Snivellus and I are equals in her book and I for one am not interested in being equal to that snake."

Potter's eyes returned to the map. Lily had stopped in one of the corridors. _Probably chatting with someone._ He calculated the distance and how fast Lily generally walked and figured that he had a small window of opportunity to get out of the common room before she arrived.

"I'm heading out." He looked at Black and Lupin. "You coming?"

Lupin didn't say or do anything, but Black did. "Not tonight Prongs." His firm tone convinced Potter there was no arguing this one.

Lupin quietly shook his head.

Potter scowled. _Have it your way._ "C'mon Wormtail, let's go," he said, grabbing Pettigrew by the arm.

"Prongs, Wormtail…" Lupin began. Then he fell silent.

"Prongs," Black said. "I'm up for as much hooliganism as the next Marauder, but this is a really bad idea…"

Potter ignored him. The two of them left the Gryffindor common room, intent on trouble.

October 20th, 1976

9 PM

_Just enough time for a little stroll on the battlements_, Snape thought. He allowed himself a small smile as he looked up at the stars overhead.

Things had been going well lately. His part in the fight with Avery and Mulciber—and preventing Potter and Lily from a potentially suicidal chase through the Portkey—had gained Slytherin House eighty points, almost enough to compensate for the loss of points incurred by Avery and Mulciber starting a fight, using an Unforgivable, and fleeing the school altogether.

_That leaves Rosier and Regulus Black as the worst of the Death Eater wannabes. Hopefully they'll reconsider._ His small smile grew. Among Slytherin, strength led to strength as the lesser Slytherin gathered to the banner of the stronger, while weakness led to weakness—after all, nobody likes a loser.

_Lily would approve._ Although she didn't hate Slytherin like most Gryffindors did, the mistrust was there, particularly since would-be Death Eaters were dominant. Now that Avery and Mulciber, sons of Death Eaters, were out of the way, Snape could take a place of prominence and hopefully bend his House's energies in positive directions.

_Ambition, intellect, and cunning_, he thought, _the traits Mum taught you to value, the traits that helped her survive being married to that oaf and living in a Muggle slum_. He'd show those arrogant Gryffindors that the qualities valued among the Slytherin did not necessarily lead to worshipping the Dark Lord and then…

Someone rather rude interrupted his reverie.

"Expelliarmus!" he heard Potter shout. Snape's wand leaped away.


	8. Gryffindor Humbled

**Gryffindor Humbled**

By Matthew W. Quinn

October 20th, 1976

9 PM

"Expelliarmus!" Snape heard Potter shout and his wand jumped out of his hand. _His usual attack? How unoriginal. Potter must not know I can Summon my wand back._

"Accio!" Snape called his wand back to him. "Stupefy!" He fired his curse at where Potter's voice originated.

He didn't hit Potter, but he hit something. His curse sent Peter Pettigrew tumbling out from under the invisibility cloak.

Abandoning all pretense of ambush, Potter threw the cloak aside. Snape raised an eyebrow. _Just you and Pettigrew?_ He smirked.

"You're losing your edge, Potter. I see you could only dragoon Pettigrew into your nightly raid."

"It'll be enough, Snivellus," Potter grated. Behind him, Pettigrew moaned, but showed no signs of getting up.

Snape raised an eyebrow. "Enough to do what?"

"Find out the truth. Are you, or are you not, loyal to You-Know-Who?"

Snape snorted. "I'd have to be a bloody masochist to love the Dark Lord now, considering the man has attempted to kill me twice." He didn't like to think back to when the notion of being a Death Eater actually appealed to him. It had been less than a year since he'd envied the older Slytherin who stopped by Hogwarts and, when none of the teachers were around, showed him their Dark Marks. _That was then. This is…_

The Gryffindor boy interrupted his thoughts. "Stupefy!" Potter shouted.

"Protego!" Snape shouted back, blocking the other boy's attack. "Are you here to talk or fight?"

"Only Death Eaters call him 'Dark Lord!'" Potter accused. "If you aren't secretly serving him, why do you call him that?"

"'You Know Who' sounds like something a coward would say. Why be afraid to speak the name Vold—"

"Don't say that!" Potter shouted. He moved to cast another curse at Snape, but Snape was quicker.

"Expelliarmus!" Potter's wand leaped away.

"How'd you like having your trick used against you, Potter?" Snape said, advancing on the other boy. "If I were like you, I'd hurt you now when you can't defend yourself." He stopped short. "But I'm not." _Not yet anyway. There's only so much you can bloody take. _"In any case, just saying the name won't bring him here. For starters, you can't Apparate into the Hogwarts grounds."

Instead of arguing further, James leaped and snatched up his wand.

"Stupefy!"

"Protego!" Snape deflected that one too. He considered ending the fight quickly by using Sectumsempra. _Maybe I'll ruin his damn good looks_, Snape thought angrily. _That'll teach him to stay the hell away._

"Stupefy!" Snape spun and barely deflected the attack, the force of it knocking him to his knees. _Pettigrew!_ The little bastard spent most of his time cheering while Potter and Black did the hard work of bullying, but he did take the same Defense classes everyone else did, even if his grades were poorer.

"Tripudio!" Snape's curse picked up the plump young wizard and sent him bouncing away. _Thanks, Mulciber._

Snape rose to his feet and turned his attention back to Potter. The two circled each other.

"Just you and me now," Snape growled. "Care to see how tough you are when you don't have three friends behind you?"

Potter snorted. "I don't need anyone else to help me fight Death Eaters, Snivellus."

"For the love of Merlin, get it through your thick head Potter! I'm not a bloody Death Eater!" Snape restrained himself from snorting. _Why bother arguing? He's not going to believe you._

Then a light-bulb lit up in his head. _Ah…_

"This isn't really about me being a Death Eater, isn't it?"

"Oh yes it is!" Potter half-shouted, but Snape could detect wavering in his voice.

Snape smiled, but it wasn't a happy one. "I know who it's really about. You're just pissed off that Lily likes to spend more time with me than with you."

Potter snorted. "If that's the case, why'd she join me for ice cream in Hogsmeade?"

Snape restrained his jaw from dropping. "You're full of shit, Potter," he said with forced casualness. Part of him whispered that the Gryffindor boy was lying, trying to mess with him — Father's military books discussed something called "Psychological Warfare" — but another part of him suspected that Potter was telling the truth.

Potter shook his head. "You wish, Snivellus. And you're not the only one who she studies with in the library."

Snape shook his head. "If studying meant romance, Potter, we'd have been together for years and you'd be a bloody footnote," he said. He let more sadness into his voice than he thought wise and Potter apparently picked up on it.

"So you _do_ fancy Lily, Snivellus?" He smirked. "Thought so. Not like she'd ever go out with you — she can do so much better."

"Like you?"

Potter shrugged. "Why not? She likes Quidditch and hates the Dark Arts. Why'd you even fancy her anyway? You'd be more comfortable with Sirius's cousin Bellatrix."

_Well, there's the small obstacle that Bellatrix Black is deranged, for one, and she's also a good bit older and has a boyfriend._

Snape then thought of something really clever to needle the other boy. "Tell me, Potter," he said. "When Lily finds out about you and Pettigrew attacking me, do you think she'll ever be interested? She defended you, saying you'd _matured_." He smirked. "Well there goes that."

Potter didn't have a clever retort. Instead he attacked.

"Petrificus totalis!" Snape managed to deflect the spell, but Potter continued to advance, casting curses like a Muggle machine gun.

"Stupefy! Confrigo!" Snape managed to dodge or deflect the attacks, but the effort was tiring. If he didn't hit back, Potter would tire him out and then hammer him.

"Levicorpus!" The spell snatched Potter into the air and although the other boy reversed the spell soon enough, Snape was able to get a curse in after Potter hit the ground but before he could stand up again.

"Confrigo!" The spell sent Potter tumbling and Snape advanced, although he made sure to stay a safe distance away.

Potter leaped up. "Tarantallegra!" he shouted. Snape tried to deflect the spell, but wasn't fast enough, and soon found himself dancing uncontrollably in the direction of the battlements and a several hundred foot fall. Potter made no move to take advantage, instead laughing at Snape's predicament.

_Fool. I'll show him._ "Finite incantatem," he said, putting a stop to his suicidal tango. "Accio Potter's glasses!" The glasses leaped into Snape's hand and he tossed them over the side. _Hopefully this'll slow him down, make his curses miss._

"Stupefy!" The spell didn't fly as true as the earlier attacks did, but it still hit Snape and slammed him into the wall.

"Reducto!" The spell struck the wall above Snape's head and sent chunks of stone cascading onto the Slytherin boy. Snape was able to shield himself against most of these, but some of them struck and no doubt left nasty bruises.

"Reducto!" More stone fell and Snape knew that he was in very deep trouble if he didn't get out of the way. But how to get out of the way without getting slammed again?

"SECTUMSEMPRA!"

A terrible cut crossed James' torso from his waistline to his left shoulder. Blood darkened the Gryffindor's robes and Snape took the opportunity to dash to the side, avoiding the last chunks of falling stone.

A shocked expression barely had time to cross Potter's visage when Snape attacked again. _His face_, Snape thought, and a brutal cut crossed Potter's face from the hinge of his jaw all the way to his nose.

Potter reacted then. "Confrigo!" he shouted.

Snape quickly shielded himself, but the sheer power of the attack knocked him backwards. Snarling through the blood on his face, Potter advanced.

"I'll kill you for that," Potter snarled. "Stupefy! Confrigo!"

Snape's Shield charm managed to absorb all of the first curse, but it was weakened enough to absorb barely half the power of the second. The spell slammed into Snape's shoulder and side and spiderwebs of pain erupted all along the afflicted area.

_Something's broken_. Luckily, Snape was right handed and his right arm was unaffected. However, pain erupted in his left arm and side with every movement as he moved to meet Potter's advance. _Time to end this._

"SECTUMSEMPRA!" Snape slashed at Potter's legs, hoping to cut him off at the knees. Potter moved to shield himself and although Snape saw slashing cuts on the Gryffindor boy's shins, the charm preventing the spell from cutting too deeply.

Potter stumbled. "Sectumsempra!" Snape's spell slashed his enemy's shoulder. Blood erupted from the wound, but Potter was bulkier than Snape and could absorb more punishment. The Gryffindor boy bared his teeth and charged.

"Prote…" Snape began, but Potter could run faster than he could speak and the two collided. They tumbled, leaving smears of blood on the stone behind them. The pain from the pressure on his injured arm and chest nearly blinded Snape, but he kept a death-grip on his wand.

_Levicorpus!_ Snape's spell snatched Potter up in the air and Snape let him hang there, blood falling from his various wounds like a morbid rain. _Best leave him there until the blood rushing into his head — or out of him — leaves him weakened enough to let down safely._

Potter glared at him, although he looked rather sleepy for some reason. Then he broke the spell himself and dropped onto the stones in a heap.

"Ready to give up now?" Snape asked. He stepped towards the fallen Gryffindor, pain lancing through him with every step. He kept his wand out in case Potter should rise up to challenge him again, but nothing happened.

Snape kept his dark eyes locked on Potter as he drew near, watching for the slightest sign that the other boy was feigning defeat. However, as Snape drew near, Potter did not move, only moan.

Fear began to rise like a mist from deep inside Snape. _Uh oh._ Much as he disliked Potter, he had no great inclination to _kill_ him. The memory of the duel at Spinner's End rushed back—the blood soaking into Mum's garden was the same color as the blood trickling between the stones beneath his feet—and Snape tried his best not to faint.

Potter twitched and Snape leaped back. Potter rose, trying to pull himself to his feet, and Snape watched him wearily.

Then Potter fell onto his back. Snape stepped closer, hoping that at least the other boy was still conscious.

"Oh no…" a new voice interrupted.

Snape's head snapped towards the source of the sound, eyes wide.

_Lily!_


	9. Heartbreak

**Heartbreak**

By Matthew W. Quinn

**Author's note: This chapter, and the following chapter, will be shorter than usual, but will make up for their shorter length with much more emo angst.**

October 20th, 1976

9:05 PM

Lily Evans stood in the doorway that opened onto the outside, face white and eyes bulging with horror. "Sev," she gasped. "What did you do?"

Snape stiffened. "What did _I_ do? He's the one who attacked me…"

His jaw dropped as she rushed over, not to him, but to Potter! She fell to her knees beside him, tears leaking out of her eyes.

_WHAT!?_

"Lily," Snape said, currents of anger rising to the surface of his voice. "Lily, he and Pettigrew attacked me under that cloak of theirs! Why…"

Lily looked up suddenly, eyes locking onto his. "LOOK AT HIM!" she half-screamed. Snape stepped back. It was rare to see Lily angry, but when she was, she wasn't one to mess with.

"Look at him," she said quietly. "Look how hurt he is…"

_Which he eminently deserves for trying to assault me and for being too stupid to bring adequate backup_, Snape grated mentally. He opened his mouth to retort when Lily began her singsong incantation, tracing the terrible wounds with her wand.

As Snape watched, the wounds began to close up. _Wow_, he thought. _The counter-curse was right under my nose the entire time._ He made a note to get the incantation and write that in his book next to the actual spell, just in case.

Lily continued to sing and Potter's flesh continued to knit together. Then, as though a zipper were being pulled, many of the wounds opened up again. Blood resumed trickling onto the stonework and Lily started crying again.

Watching her cry made something hurt inside Snape's chest. He steeled himself. _Potter attacked me!_ He set his jaw, but seeing Lily weep for Potter as if he were already dead hurt him as much if not more than the Sectumsempra had hurt the arrogant Gryffindor.

_All right_, he told his nagging conscience. _I don't expect him to be anymore grateful than he was for the episode with the Portkey, but I suppose I ought to be the better man_. He knelt beside Potter.

"How does that healing spell go, Lily?"

Lily looked at him and Snape saw what might have been a smile through her tears. "Just say what I say," she said.

She began the song again and Snape followed along. He was rather clumsy at first—_by Merlin I hate to sing_—but soon got the hang of it. His own deeper voice and her higher, sweeter voice danced together through the chilly evening air and edges of Potter's wounds began to knit together. This time, the cuts stayed closed, although Snape could tell there'd be some scarring. _Good. Let that be a reminder to him to never mess with me again._

Potter moaned and opened his hazel eyes. Lily wept again, but Snape could tell her tears were born of joy. She of course could simply be happy that the other boy was still alive, but…

It was then that he realized just how she felt about Potter…

_No, no, NO!_

"Lily," Potter gasped. He reached up and hugged her and…

Lily hugged him back.

_NO, NO, NO!_

"No," Snape gasped, rising abruptly to his feet. Lily looked up at him.

"Sev?" she asked. Then her emerald eyes widened, the shock of recognition striking her across the face.

_She knows!_ Snape screamed inside. _She knows I love her! _

_And she loves Potter!_

She was crying again. "Sev, I'm sorry!" She reached towards him, as if she were begging him not to storm off.

But Snape had turned away and strode towards the Astronomy Tower…


	10. Atop the Astronomy Tower

**Atop the Astronomy Tower**

By Matthew W. Quinn

**Author's Note: Seems some people have gotten rather upset by the events in the last chapter. I will take this opportunity to inform you that I've got 65-odd chapters planned…it's not over yet, so don't fret.**

October 20th, 1976

9:10 PM

Tears streaming freely down his face, Snape made his way up the stairs to the top of the Astronomy Tower.

_No, no, no, NO!_ All his dreams, all he'd hoped for since that golden day nearly eight years ago where he saw the red-haired angel playing with her plain, grouchy sister on the playground were crumbling around him.

_Ashes of victory, ashes of victory._ He'd finally triumphed over his great tormentor, like he craved for so long, and what did it gain him? The woman he'd loved for nearly half his life rushing to the aid of _Potter_. Potter! The man she described as a _toerag_ only a few months before!

It was true that Potter was badly hurt and he could understand why she had rushed to his aid—he could have bled to death like Mulciber Sr. did. _But why the tears of joy? And the embrace?_ He and Lily had hugged many times over the years, but those embraces had lacked the intensity he'd seen a few minutes before.

He threw open the door and rushed onto the open space atop the Tower. He strode past the telescopes and stopped close to the edge. He inhaled, steeling himself for the end.

Then the lessons the Squib priest—the upper levels of the Roman Catholic hierarchy, like the upper levels of the Muggle governments, knew about the wizarding community and trained Squibs to attend to their religious needs—had taught him so long ago surfaced from the depths of his memory.

"Suicide contradicts the natural inclination of the human being to preserve and perpetuate his life," the old man in the black robe had said, quoting from the Catechism. "It is gravely contrary to the just love of self. It likewise offends love of neighbor because it unjustly breaks the ties of solidarity with family, nation, and other human societies to which we continue to have obligations. Suicide is contrary to love for the living God."

_That may be, but I find myself not giving a shit_. He took another step forward, perilously close to the edge. Then another lesson, from another time, drifted into his consciousness.

"For a _sin_to be _mortal_, three conditions must together be met," the priest said. "Mortal sin is sin whose object is grave matter and which is also committed with full knowledge and deliberate consent."

He closed his eyes, holding back the tears that continued to spill from them. Another lesson from the Catechism appeared unbidden.

"To die in mortal sin without repenting and accepting God's merciful love means remaining separated from him for ever by our own free choice. This state of definitive self- exclusion from communion with God and the blessed is called 'hell.'"

For a long moment he hesitated, less than a foot from the open air and swift death. He inhaled.

_Hell can't be worse than what I feel now._ He took another step towards the rim of the tower, eyes locked on the distant lake where he and Lily had spent many a warm afternoon over the years…

"Severus!" a distant female voice called, interrupting his morose ruminations.

_Is that you, Lily? Have you realized just how much you've hurt me?_

"Sev!" the voice cried out again, closer this time.

_Sarah?_

The door clattered open behind him and Snape pivoted, avoiding the fatal plunge for a moment. He turned.

Sarah Jewell stood there, looking frantic and frightened. _Don't show weakness_, Snape thought, trying to compose himself.

"Yes?"

"Lily told me you stormed off. She thought you might be here."

Snape scowled. "She did?" _How remarkably considerate._

Sarah nodded. "Yes. She was afraid you might hurt yourself."

_If she was that bloody afraid I'd bloody hurt myself, why'd she bloody well all but snog Potter in front of me?_

"She was right to be afraid," he grated.

"She didn't know you fancied her too," Sarah said quickly. "She just thought you were a friend, a close, loyal, and kind friend."

Snape raised an eyebrow. _Trying to butter me up? Trying to make up for the damage she's done?_

"You might not know this," Sarah began. "But…" Her voice trailed off.

_What the hell? Is she about to tell me…_

"But you're not the only one who's fancied someone who didn't know it." She gulped. "I…I fancy you too, Severus Snape!"

Despite the precariousness of his position, standing at the edge of the abyss, Snape barely restrained himself from bursting out laughing.

"This is rich," he said. "Are you telling me this just to prevent me from committing suicide?"

She scowled in a manner reminiscent of Snape himself, then put her hands on her hips in a manner that reminded him all too much of Lily when she was in a bad mood.

"No!" she declared. "I do fancy you! You're witty and smart and you're far kinder than you let on!"

Snape raised an eyebrow. _Someone complimenting me?_ He was so used to being ignored — despite the positive attention he received from Lily and the new group of friends he'd made — that Sarah's words felt novel to him.

"You don't mind my teeth?" He'd been taking pains to brush and floss every day, but they were still uneven, particularly in the front where they were most visible.

Sarah smiled. "I don't mind your teeth."

Her words warmed the soul scarred by what felt like Lily's betrayal and suddenly Snape didn't want to die anymore.

She must have seen something in his face that suggested differently because she got frantic again. "You don't want to do this, you don't!" Sarah protested.

_She's right, you know._ He closed his eyes for a moment.

"You're right." He stepped away from the edge.

She rushed forward and wrapped him in a fierce hug, a hug much like the one Snape had seen between Lily and Potter moments before. _That settles it_, he thought. _She_ does _fancy me_.

But his arm and shoulder had been hurt in the duel with Potter and Snape pulled back involuntarily from her embrace. He had forgotten that despite the step away from the edge, he was still in a perilous position.

He felt a foot sinking in the empty air where he thought stone would have been. "Oh shit!" he shouted aloud as he toppled backward. His other foot began to pull away from the cold stone…

"Sev!" She tried to pull him back, but he was heavier than she and rather than stop his fall, she ended up joining it.

The two of them fell together from the top of the Astronomy Tower…

_Oh no._ It would be bitterly ironic if, having been persuaded not to kill himself, he died accidentally, and Sarah along with him. He felt the air rush around them as they tumbled down the side of the Astronomy Tower towards the ground below.

As they hurtled towards certain death, he thought frantically. If he could find something to grab onto, he could try the Summoning Charm but…

_Aha!_ There was a Charm that could be useful in this situation.

"Try the Cushioning Charm!" he shouted to Sarah. He pointed his wand to the ground that rushed up to strike them and shouted the incantation over and over again. Sarah soon joined him and Snape could see the ground beneath them grow hazy as the magical power built up beneath them.

The two of them slammed into the haze seconds later and Snape felt his left shoulder crumple beneath the impact. However, instead of descending further towards the black earth, the two of them bounced upward for at least fifty feet before dropping back onto the magical cushion. After several smaller bounces, they both came to a stop a few feet above the ground.

"Finite incantatem," Snape moaned and the cushion beneath them slowly deflated, leaving them resting on the wet grass beneath the Astronomy Tower.

"You all right?" Sarah asked as she painfully pulled herself to her feet.

"I think so," Snape began before waves of pain tore through the left side of his body. He attempted to struggle to his feet, but the pain grew so terrible that he fell to his knees. His arm leaped to his collarbone and found it somehow lumpy, much like his mother's after the Death Eater had cursed her over the summer.

He moaned.

"You're hurt," Sarah said. Snape tried to shake his head, but the pain grew so terrible he forced himself to nod.

"I'll call for help." Sarah raised her wand and began firing bursts of right light into the air.

He could hear the distant sounds of people running as the pain grew too great to bear and he slipped away into unconsciousness…


	11. Second Choice

**Second Choice**

By Matthew W. Quinn

November 15, 1976

4 PM

Snape and Potter spent the next three days in the infirmary. Although he and Lily had healed Potter's wounds, the hooligan required several doses of blood-replenishing potion and a substantial helping of dittany to reduce the scarring to a bare minimum. Snape's broken bones were healed relatively quickly, but Madame Pomfrey wanted him kept for observation.

Then the hearings before the Headmaster and their Heads of Houses came. Although James had gotten twelve weeks' detention and a substantial point loss for Gryffindor — there was no way to plausibly blame Snape this time since Lily was willing to testify on his behalf — Snape did not escape unscathed. He ended up with three weeks' detention himself, a smaller but still large point loss from Slytherin, and had to give James a token payment for further treatment once the term ended.

Snape thought daggers at Headmaster Dumbledore. _He's a Gryffindor himself — just couldn't let one of his favorite little Quidditch players get hurt without wreaking some vengeance._ Although part of him reasoned that it was possible the punishment might have defused hotheads among the Gryffindors and made it less likely he'd be on the receiving end of vigilantism, he still resented the wizened wizard.

Luckily he still had enough to fix his teeth like he planned and squirrel away the remainder for a rainy day.

But the worst part of it all still rankled. Lily had chosen Potter! _Potter!_

At least Snape had two consolations. Firstly, Potter no longer had his infernal map — how Filch had gloated when he'd gotten hold of it at last — so the Marauders' ability to ambush him was greatly diminished. Secondly, he found himself quite unexpectedly dating Sarah Jewell.

And so Snape attended the Slytherin-Gryffindor Quidditch match with Sarah and for the first time in awhile, the other Slytherin weren't united in their disapproval of his persona life.

"Your Mudblood choose Potter over you?" Evan Rosier had snickered. "She's a bloody social climbing scullery wench, that one." Although Snape had wanted to deck the other boy, he kept his temper in check. _You don't need any_ more _detentions_.

"At least she's Pureblood," Regulus Black had commented before he went off to join his teammates before the game. "You're doing a bit better."

However, the snickering died out soon enough. The Slytherin Quidditch team was good this year — the younger Black was as good a Seeker as Potter and much more inclined to engage in treachery when the referee wasn't looking — and Snape found himself joining his largely-estranged housemates in cheering their green and silver champions who danced in the air above them.

Black suddenly made a dive and Snape could see the golden glint of the Snitch less than twenty feet off the ground. Snape leaned forward, eyes on the Slytherin Seeker. This might be over quickly, he thought. Black pursued the Snitch, closing the gap between them, eyes intent on his prize…

Then Potter leaped up from below, grabbing at the Snitch right in front of the younger Black's face! Snape allowed himself to smile at the Gryffindor boy's sheer cheek, then resumed thinking daggers at him.

The Snitch leaped away from Potter and angered, Black swung at the Gryffindor. Potter dodged to the side and slapped Black's fist downward, sending the Slytherin Seeker spinning.

Black tumbled towards the ground, regaining control of his broom only seconds before he would have slammed into the ground. Potter raised a fist in the air in triumph and the crowd roared its approval.

"You like that, Lily?" he called out. Snape saw her clapping and cheering. Her smile made him smile, although he quickly suppressed it.

_At least she's happy with him_, he thought with a scowl. _What has he got that I don't?_ He thought for a moment, trying his best to keep the red haze of his hatred for the Gryffindor boy out of the way. _He's better looking, I concede, and at present, is wealthier_. _And he is certainly better at Quidditch._ Egged on by Potter and several of his more obnoxious housemates, Snape had made a half-hearted attempt to try out for the Quidditch team his second year and ended up making a total fool of himself — although he'd join the occasional pickup game, he'd never tried out again.

He frowned at the notion of Lily being that shallow. The Lily he'd known since he was nine didn't obsess over such superficial things — after all, she befriended _him_ despite the disapproval of her older sister and, later, most of her House.

He thought further. _Potter is brave, yes, but so am I. And unlike him, I think before I act._ He briefly wondered if he should have allowed Potter to take the Portkey but pulled Lily back, then pushed that thought from his mind. _I'd be just as bad as he is, if I did that._ He suspected the reason the Gryffindor boy's hatred so was so personal — Black's ire had cooled significantly after the first fight with Mulciber — had to do with Lily.

He snorted. _If there is something worthwhile, something lovable about that hooligan, it probably requires a lot of digging and she could have gotten the same romance with much less effort from me._

Sarah turned away from the Quidditch action. "You all right?" she asked.

"Yes," he lied. Then he reached over and ruffled her hair, making her giggle and hopefully changing the subject. She leaned close and put her head on his shoulder. He stroked her hair and tried to concentrate on the game, but try as he might, his thoughts kept drifting back to Lily.

She was horrified at what he'd nearly done after she had rushed to Potter and spent the next couple of days apologizing frantically. Despite his anger and hurt, Snape ultimately accepted her apologies — he could never stay angry at her for long and to be fair, she hadn't intended to hurt him that badly.

However, there was a definite coldness between them and eventually they'd both found excuses to do something else that day. He stalked off to the Potions classroom and experimented until the patrolling prefect — Lupin of all people — had come to tell him it was time for bed.

Lupin then apologized, in his weak way, for not stopping James that night. Snape asked him why he'd never apologized for not stopping James before — or for that matter, for participating in the other boy's cruel "pranks" himself — and Lupin only hung his head in shame and slunk out, but not before telling Snape that regardless of the rights and wrongs of the situation, it was still past curfew.

Potter, Black, and Pettigrew — the latter had become lodged in some stonework after Snape had cast the Tripudius Curse on him and Filch had to get him down — at least had been keeping their distance. He'd felt their glares stabbing him in the back, but they'd always looked away when he returned their gazes.

_You'd better be afraid_, he thought, scorn erupting from deep in his soul to poison his thoughts.

"Severus," Sarah said. "You're still thinking about what happened."

He forced himself to smile, but she cut him off before he could speak.

"You're only hurting yourself by dwelling on it."

_That is true_, Snape thought. _But moving on is easier said than done._

He decided to focus on the positives of the situation. In Sarah, he had found someone just as interested in pushing the frontiers of magical knowledge as he was — he was pleased to discover that she was impressed with the spells he had invented and, in fact, had invented spells of her own!

One spell she'd invented was the Barbing Charm, which makes the affected object grow barbs and could only be removed by the original spellcaster. _Very useful for keeping people from grabbing onto stuff that's not theirs._ The Ungraspable Charm, which caused an object to remain visible but unable to be grasped, served much the same purpose. _She's certainly quite good at Charms._ She'd also modified an alarm clock to skitter away when it started chiming, preventing the would-be sleeper from turning it off and going back to bed. _That'd be a most useful invention, particularly for someone who liked to sleep._

She allowed him to copy her incantations into his book and in return, he allowed her access to his own spells. _Levicorpus_ was already well-known at school, but _Muffiliato_ and _Langlock_ were not. She'd even copied down _Sectumsempra_, although Snape had thought she'd never be interested in a spell of such brutality. _That ought to keep her safe from the Death Eaters._

Another positive outcome of the fight with Potter was the discovery that he wasn't universally popular, particularly outside of Gryffindor. Several students from other houses — and even one or two Gryffindors — had come to him privately and praised him for what he did, although many were uncomfortable with the command of Dark Magic Snape had displayed. Although Lily was correct that Potter hadn't hexed any other students since their sixth year had begun (the attack on Snape being the apparent exception), many of Potter's former victims were glad to see the arrogant young man taken down a peg or two.

_Particularly a group of second-years who'd been Levicorpus'd late last year_. Apparently Potter and his crew had snuck up on a bunch of then-firsties, suspended them in the air, and then ran, leaving them drifting lazily in the wind for nearly ten minutes before someone was able to get them down.

_Nice to see I'd been able to do unto him what he so often did unto others_, Snape thought, remembering how he'd hung the Gryffindor upside down during the latter part of their duel.

Then the crowd around them started roaring, ripping Snape from his thoughts. His eyes leaped onto the Quidditch players and saw that Regulus Black and Potter were neck and neck, going for the Snitch. Both of them were sparing no effort to get to the flying golden ball — Regulus was doing his best to knock Potter off his broom and Potter was clearly trying to return the favor.

To make things even more interesting, one of the two iron Bludgers was in hot pursuit of the Seekers. Apparently Black noticed this — he accelerated and tried to head Potter off, leaving him a clear target for the Bludger. Potter must've gotten the hint, for he quickly tried to do the same thing.

Apparently the Snitch bucked upward and the two Seekers shot up after it, still continuing to try to force the other into the Bludger's path. Higher and higher they rose until they were specks in the sky; then the Snitch changed course again and both of them came rocketing out of the sky towards the green grass below. The Bludger was still in hot pursuit, although a group of Beaters had finally gotten their act together and chased after it.

The game of shove-the-other-in-front-of-the-Bludger could only have one winner, however, and the ultimate winner was Black. He kicked at the front of Potter's broomstick with his foot and managed to flip the Gryffindor backwards, right into the path of the Bludger.

Potter tumbled off his broom and most of the audience roared its dismay. Snape allowed himself to smile. _Someone'll likely catch him_, he thought, _but I'll enjoy this while it lasts_. He saw Lily in the distance with a horror-stricken expression on her face and reflexively repressed his smile. Much as her taste in men got on his nerves, he disliked seeing her upset.

Then suddenly the broom shot downward into Potter's hand and he flipped himself upwards. Rather than sitting on the broom in the conventional manner, he landed on the broom with both feet, riding it like a Muggle surfer.

Snape scowled. _Showoff_. The spectators must've thought otherwise, for they started roaring with approval. Even some Slytherin cheered, although a swat from Rosier shut the most obnoxious of them up. Even though Black flew high, the Golden Snitch in his hand, Potter attracted the most attention.

_Typical._


	12. A Rather Awkward Christmas

**A Rather Awkward Christmas**

By Matthew W. Quinn

December 25th, 1976

2:30 PM

Once exams were concluded, most of the students at Hogwarts returned to their respective homes for the Christmas holiday.

Lily and Snape returned home to Manchester for the break, the former to the joyful greetings of her parents and the rather indifferent greetings of her sister and the latter to an empty house. After Mulciber and Avery had fled Hogwarts, the Ministry hid Tobias and Eileen elsewhere in Britain and Snape, since he would come of age within weeks, was allowed to decide whether he would go with them or not. He briefly considered staying with them — visiting Lily was one of his major activities during summers and holidays and that would have been awkward now — but decided not to.

_Damned if I'll be run out of the house_, he thought. _And who knows?_ _Perhaps things will get better with Lily._ He shook his head at his own optimism, but decided against contacting the Ministry and asking for Mum — who was now Secret-Keeper for the elder Snapes' hiding place — to tell him where they were at. _In any event, someone's got to keep the house up._

As usual, Lily's parents invited him over for their Christmas meal. Snape had never told them about things at home, but they guessed from his shabby clothes and refusal to discuss the situation that things weren't well and had always made him welcome at their house.

Snape thought about turning them down — he could always claim that he was spending Christmas with his own family — but Mr. and Mrs. Evans had always been kind to him and he didn't want to lie. _Besides, even if things are awkward with Lily, Mrs. Evans feeding you twice your body weight is far better than sitting at home eating toast and kippers and brooding about the unfairness of life._

So, some small gifts for Lily and her parents in his schoolbag, Snape had made the long walk from Spinner's End to Lily's house in a somewhat nicer neighborhood.

The Evanses had granted him jovially — with the exception of Petunia, who slunk off to talk on the phone to someone named Vernon as soon as he arrived — and gifts were exchanged.

For Mr. and Mrs. Evans, Snape had bought some magical knick-knacks at Hogsmeade. He remembered how they had gawked at Platform 9 ¾ and figured despite being Muggles, they might be interested in some magic in their lives.

"Why thank you Severus," Mr. Evans said, taking Snape's gift and holding it up to the light to look at it more closely.

"Don't forget to keep these where visitors don't come often," Snape began. "The Ministry would not app…"

"Don't worry," Mrs. Evans said. "We'll keep them in our room with the other devices Lily has gotten us."

Despite himself, Snape smiled.

For Lily — despite the lingering pain her choice of Potter caused him, he was going to get her something nice — he had bought several bundles of the best Potions ingredients he could afford and wrapped them himself (rather poorly he thought) in red paper with a golden bow. _Not much of a Gryffindor person, I must say, but I think she'll like it._

"Thank you Sev," she said, beaming, and before he could react, she swept him up in a hug. For a brief moment, Snape allowed himself to imagine this was the same intense embrace he'd seen between her and Potter the night he and the Gryffindor boy dueled on the battlements, but then reality cut in. _She chose him._

Still, he hugged her back and hoped she didn't notice his hesitancy.

"You're welcome," he said into her hair.

She stepped back. "Here's your present," she said, handing him something wrapped in green and silver paper. It was so much better wrapped than his gift had been and for a moment, Snape felt ashamed.

He took the gift in his hands and ran his fingers along the edges. _Books. Two books._ Very carefully, very methodically, he opened the gift.

_A 7__th__ Year Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook and the newest edition of Potions Market? Excellent._ He knew that Lily would never buy him an actual book on the Dark Arts — perhaps a DADA book was the closest she'd go, or perhaps she hoped to channel his interests into healthier paths.

_Either way, I'm not complaining._ Snape smiled. "Thanks, Lily."

She smiled and Snape felt his heart fluttering. "You're welcome, Sev."

Hesitantly, he reached out and they hugged again. For a brief moment, it was as if she weren't dating Potter and he weren't dating Sarah.

Except that wasn't the case. Snape was the one who first pulled back and Lily disappeared into the kitchen to help her mother, leaving Snape alone with Mr. Evans. The older man began jovially discoursing about how he, Mrs. Evans, and Petunia had gotten tickets to the last Manchester United game and Snape forced himself to pay attention.

Soon afterward, they sat down to eat. Snape's mouth watered at the enormous roast goose that Mrs. Evans brought in and he took the occasion to run his tongue over his front teeth — after exams were over, he had an orthodontist in Hogsmeade put them in order. The procedure was quicker than a Muggle doctor's but somewhat more painful — the orthodontist cast a spell that liquefied Snape's gums and parts of his jaw and then maneuvered the teeth around by hand before returning Snape's face to normal.

_Thank God I don't need to have to deal with Muggle braces and retainers_, he thought. His parents wouldn't have spent scarce funds on such "extravagances" anyway, but he was fervently glad he didn't have to spend months with a mouth full of metal.

Snape and the Evanses spent the next few minutes focused on the goose and the potatoes. _This is very, very nice_, Snape thought. Christmas meals with his family tended to be a rather sparse affair, when it happened at all.

"Looks like there'll be plenty of leftovers for our guest tomorrow," Mr. Evans said.

_Someone else coming?_ It was probably a member of their family — although both Mr. and Mrs. Evans were only children, there were probably other family members coming around.

Mrs. Evans must've noticed Snape's curiosity on his face. "You're not the only magical visitor we'll be having this Christmas," she said. "Lily's boyfriend James is coming to visit tomorrow."

An awkward silence fell. Petunia looked away, barely hiding a sneer, while Lily looked a little embarrassed. Mr. and Mrs. Evans didn't visibly react, although Snape could detect a bit of uneasiness on their part. _Did they not know?_ He figured they knew at least something — Lily might keep things from Petunia after their fight at the train station, but not likely from her parents.

Snape decided to break the awkwardness himself.

"What an interesting coincidence," he said. "Sarah's dropping by on the 27th. I think it might be meet the parents too, except my parents are away." His face fell for a moment as he thought about how shabby Spinner's End was — although Tobias had spent some money on repairing the household before the Ministry put them in hiding, the Snape family home was still dark and dirty.

Lily smiled. "Don't worry, Sev, I'm sure everything will be fine." There was a twinkle in her eye and Snape raised an eyebrow. _Something's going on…_

Luckily, Mrs. Evans was able to save the situation. "I think it's time for the pudding," she said.

December 27th, 1977

11:30 AM

Snape sat in the old but still-comfortable Muggle reclining chair, reading the Defense Against the Dark Arts book, when someone knocked on the front door.

Snape leaped to his feet, wand out. _Who could that be?_ The house had been extensively warded so that only those who already knew where it was could get there or tell others how to get there and those with malicious intent could not cross onto the property. The Dark Lord or his more powerful servants might be able to break through the wards, but Snape didn't think that his actions were enough to attract Voldemort's attention, particularly since relatively few people knew he was even there.

"Who is it?" he called out, aiming his wand carefully at the door.

Musical laughter echoed beyond the door and Snape immediately felt relieved. _Lily._ However, he wondered why she was there. _She loves Potter, _he thought_. Why on Earth would she want to spend MORE time with me?_

"It's me, Sev," she said. "May I come in?"

Snape slowly made his way to the door, wondering just what was going on. _Potter came to visit her yesterday. Perhaps he made an ass of himself and they broke up._ He smiled. _Wouldn't that be nice?_

Of course, there was still the matter of Sarah. Much as he'd like the opportunity to date Lily, he didn't want to hurt Sarah, the one who had prevented him from killing himself and showed him that life with less Lily was not only possible, it could actually be enjoyable.

_Enough_, he thought, forcing the moral conundrum from his mind. _We'll cross that bridge when we come to it._

He undid the two deadbolts and the chain and opened the door.

"So, what brings you to my humble abode?" When he was young enough not to be ashamed about his house, she'd come over and Mum had taught both of them Potions tricks, but as the years passed and Spinner's End decayed, he'd found various excuses to keep her from visiting and her visits had come less and less often.

"I remembered you said Sarah was coming over," she said. "A…and I was wondering if you needed help straightening things up. It can't be easy, taking care of the house by yourself."

_True._

Lily looked around. "You haven't been dusting, have you?"

"Well…no."

She rolled her eyes. "Boys."

Before Snape could formulate a witty response, she drew her wand. She flicked her wrist and things started happening very quickly.

A wind swept throughout the house, stirring up eddies of dust. As the dust rose in the air, it formed clouds that took the shape of animals and rushed through the rooms, stirring up more dust as they went. The newly-raised dust in turn formed new animals, until there was a small-scale zoo rushing about Spinner's End.

_Wow_, Snape thought, instinctively comparing what he saw to Fiendfyre. _This is awesome._

One by one, the animals made their way to the foyer from different parts of the house and knelt at Lily's feet. She touched each of them with her wand and they dissolved into piles of dirt.

"Don't think you're getting out of this without having to chip in," she said to Snape. "Go get a broom and dustpan. We can dump this out back in your Mum's garden."

Snape nodded and headed off towards the broom closet. As he passed by a lamp-stand, he traced his finger on it.

_Not a speck of dust. Wow._

He retrieved the broom and dustpan from the closet and he and Lily swept up the dust (using magic to prevent spills) and dumped it out the back door.

"Wow," Snape said. "Where'd you learn that spell?"

Lily giggled. "I invented it. It took awhile, but I think it's worth the effort."

Snape smiled. "That's excellent, Lily. Perhaps you should patent it and they could teach it at school."

Lily thought for a moment. "Interesting idea, Sev." She looked around the living room.

"Let's see, what's left to do?"

Lily immediately went over to the sofa and began rearranging pillows before turning her attention to the nearby table.

"You know, Lily, you don't have to…"

"It's fine, Sev." As she finished what she was doing, she turned her attention back to Snape. "So, what've you been up to the last few days?"

Snape shrugged. "Nothing much. Just reading those books you gave me." He paused, drawing a breath, before continuing. "How did the visit with _Potter_ go?" He hadn't meant to let the anger slip into his voice. _Oops._

Lily rolled her eyes. "It actually went well. Mum and Dad like him — they think he's charming and cultured. Even Tuney seemed rather fond of him, didn't think him a freak like any other witch or wizard she's met."

_Didn't think him a freak like _me_, I suppose_. Petunia Evans had never been fond of him, although the incident with the falling branch had taught her to keep a civil tongue in his presence, but Mr. and Mrs. Evans had always treated him kindly, almost as a surrogate son. The fact that it was possible _Potter_ of all people might take that away from him too twisted the knife deeper in his soul.

"Well," Snape said. "That's certainly nice."

Silence fell again. _Uh oh. I hope I haven't pissed her off._ He decided to change the subject.

"Would you like some lunch? I'm sure I've got something around here somewhere."

Lily smiled, but it wasn't the entirely happy smile she'd worn a few minutes ago. "Thanks for the offer, Sev, but Mum is taking Tuney and me shopping." She rolled her eyes. "She's been trying to fix things between us for the last six years, but it hasn't worked yet."

_Ouch._ Snape nodded. "That's good. I hope you three have fun."

"Thanks," she said as she made her way to the door.

December 27, 1977

2 PM

Snape was back in the reclining chair reading his book when someone knocked at the door.

_That must be Sarah_. He made his way to the door, peeked through the keyhole to be sure it was her, and let her in.

"Sev!" she cried out and hugged him. They held each other for awhile before Snape shut the door and locked it. _Can't be too careful._

"How'd you get here?" They'd never discussed just how she was going to arrive — she was too young to Apparate legally and flying on brooms was highly illegal in Muggle-populated areas.

"Oh, Ian Apparated and brought me along with him," she said. "He'll be back to fetch me in a couple of hours."

_Ah. Makes sense._ The fact that her brother was involved made Snape a bit uncomfortable, even though he knew intellectually the older boy didn't care.

"So, how was your Christmas?" he asked.

"It was wonderful," she said. "All the relatives came in from all over England and even from America and we sang carols and had a wonderful feast afterward."

She smiled. "So, what'd you do?"

_Something not nearly as fun as your holiday._ "Well, my parents are in hiding due to the incident with Mulciber, so I've had the house to myself. I spent most of the day reading, although I did head over to Lily's house for the Christmas feast."

A momentary sour look crossed Sarah's face. Snape raised an eyebrow.

"You okay?"

Sarah smiled, a smile Snape strongly suspected was forced, then nodded. "How was that?" she asked.

_Is she worried about Lily and me?_ Snape could understand how her thought processes were working — he'd certainly felt that way himself where Lily was concerned, many times.

"It was fine," he said. "They've always invited me over for the Christmas meal." He looked around him at the shabby house. "I've never told them, but they know about…this." He resisted the urge to hang his head in shame.

Sarah reached out and took his hands in hers. "Don't worry about it, Sev."

_Thanks for not judging me._ Like Lily, Sarah didn't care about his poverty or dysfunctional family.

"So," Snape said, changing the subject. "Would you like some tea?"

Sarah smiled. "That'd be wonderful."

Snape retreated to the kitchen and managed to find two packets of tea. Through the judicious use of both Muggle plumbing (the sink) and magic (instant-boil spell), he managed to produce two steaming cups of tea very quickly.

"Thanks, Sev," Sarah said as he returned to the living room and set the tea on a table in front of the sofa. Then, with a stab of his wand, he produced a roaring fire in the fireplace. Sarah smiled and Snape bowed dramatically.

Both of them sank onto the sofa and drank their tea. When they were finished, Sarah leaned close to Snape, who began toying with her hair.

"So, got any fun plans for the rest of the holiday?" he asked.

"Well, we're all going up to see our grandparents in Bristol for New Year's," she said. "We'll spend awhile there. You ever been to Bristol?"

Snape shook his head. "Nope. Only been to the seaside once, really." _Long ago, before the mills started cutting production and Father's drinking got worse, when we had money for vacations._

"That's so sad, Sev," she said. "Bristol's a wonderful old city. There's not just the beach there, but also Bristol Bridge and Bristol Cathedral. There's so much to see and do there."

Snape slid his arm around Sarah's midsection and she looked up at him. He stiffened. _Have I gone too far?_

Then she pulled herself into his lap. _I guess not._

"So, Sev, what're your plans for the rest of the holiday?"

That's an odd question to ask someone into whose lap you've just climbed, he thought. "Well," he began. "I don't really have…"

Suddenly, she was leaning over, looking away from him. "Sarah?" he asked.

She was leaning over, examining a table next to the sofa. "Sev, what's this?" she asked.

"What's what?" Then he spotted what she was looking at.

Lily's bracelet lay on the table. She'd somehow misplaced it when she was helping him clean up — maybe she'd taken it off and forgotten about it, or it had fallen off, or perhaps something else…

"Oh, Lily came by a few hours ago to help me get the place ready for your visit," he said casually. _Hopefully you won't worry about it._

Sarah scowled momentarily before trying to wipe away the dark expression with a smile.

"Well then, don't forget to make sure she gets it back."

_She's definitely worrying about it._

"Don't worry, I will."

They resumed cuddling, but there was a definite coldness there.

_Uh oh._


	13. Full Moon

**Full Moon**

By Matthew W. Quinn

January 20th, 1977

11:30 PM

Lily Evans woke up with a start. _Where am I?_ she briefly wondered until she got oriented.

Then she felt the familiar rock against her back and saw the dark waters of the lake lapping at the shore nearby. _I know where I am._

It was the spot by the lake that she and Snape had made their private study domain their first year, to get away from the gossip and occasional prank from the Gryffindors and the racially-tinged sneers and pranks (usually of a more malicious sort) of the Slytherin. This time, however, she studied alone as twilight fell, and must've fallen asleep.

She sighed. Although Christmas went better than she expected, the coldness that fell the night he and Potter fought had not yet lifted. _Just because I chose James doesn't mean that I'm rejecting his friendship_, she thought. _And Sarah adores him, so he's not alone._ She shook her head. _If only he didn't love Dark Magic so much. __Hopefully Sarah will be a good influence and he'll grow up a little bit, just like James has._

She rose to her feet and put her books in her bag. _How to get back to the castle without attracting undue attention?_ As a prefect, she had more freedom than the other students as far as curfew was concerned, but she didn't think that extended to being outside the castle in the middle of the night.

Her gaze hopped to the castle and floated all the way back to her feet. _Is there a way to get to the castle without crossing open ground?_ She didn't want any of the other prefects — or worse, Filch — spotting her approaching from a distance.

She pursed her lips and thought. _If I follow the woods along the lake, then dash over to the walls, that ought to minimize my chances of being spotted._

She picked up her bag and made her way along the edge of the woods near the edge of the lake.

Then she heard some rustling in trees.

She stopped. _What's that?_ She drew her wand to be on the safe side and made her way towards the source of the noise. She could see forms moving among the trees, but couldn't see just what they were.

Then one of those forms emerged into the moonlight. It was a majestic stag.

_Wow_, she thought. Having been brought up in the city, she didn't get to see wildlife larger than the occasional fox.

The stag came closer, its confident attitude so unlike any animal she'd ever seen before.

"H…hallo there," she said hesitantly. As the animal drew closer, she raised her wand and the animal stopped. It lowered its antlers almost submissively and she relaxed a little. _If it intended to attack, it would have done so._

Head low, the animal resumed its approach. She reached out her hand and the stag nuzzled it, in a manner that reminded her a lot of how she and Potter would snuggle in the common room whenever his ever-present clique gave them a moment of privacy.

She petted the stag on the head between its antlers.

Then something growled behind the stag. The animal spun away, nearly knocking Lily over, and faced the area it came from. Its eyes locked on something Lily couldn't see and narrowed, as if the animal were steeling itself. Then it lowered its antlers.

A moment later, a wolf — not a normal-looking wolf liked she'd seen in the zoos or books, although she couldn't immediately name the differences — erupted from the thicket. A huge black dog sprang out moments later, desperately trying to catch the wolf.

The wolf lunged straight at Lily like a Muggle guided missile, brown eyes boiling with murderous rage. For some reason, she thought she saw a rat sitting on top of the wolf's head, holding on for dear life.

_Not now_, she thought. She could ruminate on that strange detail later, when she wasn't about to be attacked by a wild animal.

Lily backed away, raising her wand. The wolf leaped…

Only to be intercepted in mid-air by a swing of the stag's antlers. The stag's attack hurled the wolf into the thicket — Lily saw what looked like the rat flying through the air — and the dog leaped onto it, pinning it to the ground with its forepaws. The wolf clawed at the dog's face, drawing blood, until the dog clamped its jaws around the wolf's throat. The wolf then rolled onto its back, belly up, in a lupine gesture of submission.

The stag turned its attention back to Lily. It gave her a gentle push in the direction of the castle with its head.

_This is very odd_, she thought. _Even by the standards of Hogwarts_. She made a mental note to ask Hagrid if he'd bred any unusually intelligent deer lately…

The stag pushed her with its head again.

"All right, I get the point," she said. _You're talking to an animal_, part of her said, but another part of her said this couldn't be an ordinary animal.

The stag stepped around her and walked towards the castle. Lily followed.

They'd gotten to the narrowest spot between the woods and the walls when the stag froze. Lily kept walking and the stag poked at her behind with its antlers.

"Hey!" she said indignantly.

The stag gestured with its head in a strangely human-like manner towards the castle walls and Lily followed its gaze. A man stood on the battlements, gazing down at them. Lily squinted and could just make out his features.

_Oh no_, she thought. _Filch_.

"Who's down there?" the older man called. "You'd better not be a student! I'll have you scrubbing the floors _without magic_ for a month if you are!"

Suddenly the stag bolted towards the castle. "Wait up!" she called out. She rushed after the animal as it ran along the castle walls. The animal made its way to a spot just before the wall turned a corner before it stopped and started poking at the base of the wall with its antlers.

"Whatever are you doing?" Lily asked. She felt like an idiot for talking to an animal, but this animal seemed rather different from the norm. Her curiosity tugged at her mind and she stepped over to where the stag was jabbing at the wall with its antlers.

_Holy._ There was a wooden trapdoor built into the base of the wall!

The stag looked at her, then back at the trapdoor.

"I understand," Lily said. She reached down and opened the trapdoor. It didn't require any particular degree of effort to get it open — it was as if it'd been used recently.

She climbed down into the tunnel and turned back to the stag.

"Thanks," she said.

Her jaw dropped at the stag's reaction.

_Did the animal just_ nod?

The stag then bounded away…

January 21st, 1977

7:30 AM

"Good morning Miss Perfect Prefect," Potter said as he swaggered into the Great Hall the next morning.

"Morning James," Lily said. She set aside her fork and knife and rose to hug him. "How're you doing today?"

"Just fine, Lily," he said. "Had an invigorating run last night and now I'm hungry." He gaze hopped over to the tray of pastries sitting in the center of the table and picked one off without even using the provided tongs.

"James!" she protested as he bit into the pastry.

"Don't worry Lily," he said with a full mouth. "I always wash my hands."

"It's the principle of the matter," she said. "What kind of example are you setting for the younger students?"

"A bad one," Black said as he swaggered in. "Top of the morning to you, Lily."

"Top of the morning to you too, Sirius," she said. As he sat down next to Potter, she got a good look at his face. A series of cuts, the center ones long and deeper and the outer ones shallower, crossed his handsome features.

Lily's jaw dropped.

_That was just where the wolf had scratched the dog the night before!_

She shook her head. _That can't be right._

"Sirius," she began. "What happened to your face?"

"Nothing important," he said. Like Potter, he reached over and snagged a pastry with his bare hand. But Lily kept her gaze locked on Black's wounded face.

_How can that dog have been Sirius?_ He'd have to have mastered Animagery in order to pull that off, and Black wasn't the sort who applied himself strenuously in class. She thought about how the stag acted towards her, nuzzling her, trying to protect her, and escorting her back to the castle._ That sounds like something James would do._

She narrowed her eyes. _I'm going to get to the bottom of this._

"James," she began. "Where are Remus and Peter?"

Potter briefly looked uneasy, but Black stayed cool. "Remus is a bit ill right now, you know how he is. And Peter fell down the stairs and is in the infirmary right now."

_How very convenient_. She thought for a moment. Assume for the moment that Potter and Black had masterminded Animagery, that would only eliminate two of the four animals last night. That left the wolf and the rat unaccounted for, and Remus and Peter were certainly somewhere else at the moment.

Then she remembered what Sev had told her so long ago. _Lupin is a werewolf_, he had said, _and they've got him contained in the Shrieking Shack!_

She didn't believe him then — she thought that he was embarrassed that James of all people had rescued him from some calamity —but she had little trouble believing him now.

She thought back to how James bragged about rescuing that "slimy Slytherin," but never quite got around to saying what he rescued him _from_. And she had never asked, even though it was a matter concerning her best friend!

She reddened slightly. _I was fool._ She narrowed her eyes. She was a prefect, damn it, and she was going to put a stop to this.

She rose to her feet and looked down at her boyfriend. "Potter," she began, deliberately using his surname in the manner she did when they did not get along.

That got his attention. "Yes?" Potter asked, voice slightly uneasy. _You better be uneasy_.

"Last night," she said. "I was studying by the lake, where Sev and I used to go" — she watched Potter flinch and enjoyed it a little — "and lost track of time."

She then related what happened the night before and by the end of it, even the unflappable Potter and Black looked a little pale.

"You were stag, weren't you James?" Her voice dropped to a whisper. "You're an Animagus. And Lupin is a werewolf!"

Potter didn't even try to lie. "Not so loud, Lily," he whispered, gesturing to the other students with his head. "We're unregistered." He gestured towards a nearby corridor. "Let's discuss it there."

The three of them made their way to the corridor and there Lily gave Potter a piece of her mind.

"James are you mad! You're an unregistered Animagus…you're risking Azkaban!"

"Hey," Black said with a shrug. "What's life without a little risk? Besides, it's always a good idea to have an ace nobody knows about."

Lily turned on Black when he said the word "risk," her emerald eyes burning with anger.

"Risk, Black, _risk_? You were roaming about the grounds with a _werewolf_! Do you know how dangerous that is?"

"Hey, it's not Lupin's fault being what he is," Potter said.

She turned on him, hands on hips. "I never said it was, James! You and Sirius are the ones at fault here, not him." Her scowled deepened. "Letting Lupin out of the Shack" — she saw the boys flinching in unison — "and roaming the grounds with him! Are you both mad?"

Potter laid a hand on her shoulder. "Lily, calm down. With us around in our animal forms, Lupin calms down. He's less wolfish…"

Lily pushed his hand away. "Given that he bloody well attacked me, I'd hate to see him _more_ wolfish!"

"Lily, please," Black interrupted. "What happened last night was a fluke. We scout out the area pretty well before we let Lupin out and we're usually able to keep him under control even when we do run across people out that late, which is pretty rare and…"

Lily turned on Black. "All it takes is one screw-up and somebody's life is ruined forever." She scowled at him.

"That's true," Potter said. "But look at it this way. We're helping someone whose life is already screwed up. You want to know why they call the place the Shrieking Shack?"

"And why do they do that?"

"It's because when werewolves are alone, with no humans to attack or animals to run around with, they'll attack themselves. You ever see the scars on his forearms?" Potter lowered his voice an octave. "It's because he _gnaws_ on himself."

Pity for Lupin rushed through her soul, but she steeled herself. "You don't have to let him _out_ though. Didn't you think that maybe you could have just stayed in the Shack with him?"

"We did," Black interrupted, "But that would have been kind of boring."

She turned back to Potter. "And did you agree with this?"

Potter nodded. "We figured some exercise might help him."

_Some exercise? That's all this is to you, a matter of_ some exercise? _Putting the residents of Hogsmeade or any students breaking curfew at risk, for _some exercise?

She was angry and determined to show it. She said the one thing she knew would annoy Potter.

"Sev was right."

Then she turned away and headed back into the Great Hall.

"Lily," Potter said, and she could detect a whiff of defeat in his voice. She briefly turned around.

"Yes?"

"Please don't tell anyone. People'll talk, they might want to expel Lupin…"

"For his sake, I won't talk about what happened." She paused. "Yet. Chew on that for awhile."

Then she turned and marched off.

January 21st, 1977

7:40 AM

Potter watched Lily storm back into the Great Hall and felt all his best-laid plans falling apart. He knew intellectually he'd have to come clean to her sooner or later about his nocturnal excursions, but he was hoping it would be on his terms. She'd know that he was doing it to help Lupin, stop him from hurting himself and even get him some exercise and…

And she'd nearly been hurt. If he hadn't been faster, Lupin could have clawed her or even — God forbid — bitten her. _Two werewolves in the Shack_, he thought. _That would have been horrid._

He looked up again, only to see that she'd disappeared into the crowds by the door.

_Damn and blast_. He hoped he hadn't lost her forever and he _especially_ hoped he hadn't just lost her to _Snivellus_.

Black moved to comfort his friend, putting his hand on his shoulder. "Bad luck, Prongs," he whispered.

Potter brushed the hand away. "Not now, Padfoot." _What to do? What to do?_

"What to do?"

"That, I suppose, depends on where she's going. If she's going to Dumbledore, we're dead sure to get in trouble for this," Black said. "I don't think Dumbledore will inform the Ministry about us being Animagi, but he'll be pissed off."

"That's certainly a plus. The Ministry not getting involved, I mean."

Black's voice dropped an octave. "However, based on what she said, she might be going to Snape."

Potter moaned. "Just our luck if he gets involved."

"Perhaps we can keep him from getting involved."

Potter raised an eyebrow. "I thought you didn't like to bait him anymore. Even after the greasy git nearly killed me, you didn't want to…"

"There are more ways of messing with someone than hexing them, Prongs. Maybe you can go track down Lily while I dress up in a black robe and jump out of some bushes. If they call an alert and send everyone back to the common rooms, that'll keep him away for sure and give you a chance to talk to Lily."

Potter's jaw dropped. "Padfoot, are you mad? Dressing up as a _Death Eater_? Deliberately causing a _panic_?"

He shrugged. "It might work. Hell, might even be a bit funny. It's been awhile since we've pranked anyone, Prongs — how about we prank the entire school to make up for lost time?"

Potter's eyes had gotten so wide he briefly thought they might be wider than his glasses. "That's not funny, Padfoot. You do that, you might get expelled or end up in Azkaban. I thought you didn't like the Death Eaters — now you want to dress up as one?"

Black shrugged. "Just for a laugh, that's all. Besides, I figure you wouldn't want Snape to take advantage of this. The whole bloody situation's his fault anyway, poking his nose around the Shack and finding out like he did."

Potter sighed. If _Snivellus_ hadn't told Lily about the incident at the Shack — which he _shouldn't_ have, Dumbledore had sworn him to secrecy — Lily might not be angry at him now, but that wouldn't undo the fact that Lupin had attacked her the night before.

_Can't blame this on the greasy git, no matter how much fun that'd be_. _This_ _is_ my_ fault._

"Perhaps when she calms down, I can talk to her."


	14. Understanding

**Understanding**

By Matthew W. Quinn

January 21st, 1977

11:30 AM

Severus Snape made his way down the corridor towards Transfigurations class. _All right_, he thought. _Here's the agenda for today. Transfigurations, Potions, and Charms, then meet up with Sarah and tinker with some new spells and hopefully get some cuddling done too._ He allowed himself a small smile. They hadn't progressed to full-blown snogging yet, but it was only a matter of time.

Then a new voice ripped him out of his thoughts.

"Sev!"

Snape froze in his tracks. _Lily._

Slowly, he turned to face her. "Yes?"

"Sev, we need to talk."

_Talk about what?_ Despite their friendly Christmas back home, they'd seen little of each other since they returned to school. Snape would ordinarily welcome the opportunity to chat, but something about the way Lily spoke put him on edge.

Snape raised an eyebrow. "Very well," he said. "What about?"

Lily looked around. Even though there weren't that many students in the hall, he could tell she wanted to talk somewhere private.

"That classroom over there looks good," she said. She seized his hand and pulled him towards an empty classroom.

_What?_ Much as he'd like to hold hands with her — despite the pain he still felt even now, months after the duel with Potter — something seemed definitely wrong.

"All right," he said as soon as the door was closed behind them. "What's going on?"

"Sev," she said. "I believe I owe you an apology."

Snape rolled his eyes. _Potter again?_ "Lily, we've been through this already…"

"No," she interrupted. "It's not just about Potter…it's about Remus."

_Lupin?_ A chill slithered up his spine at the mention of the werewolf's name. "Lily, what's Lupin got to do with this?"

Lily inhaled. "Last night, I was studying in our spot by the lake and I must've fallen asleep. By the time I woke up, it was late and the moon was up."

Then she told him the tale. By the time she was finished, Snape's hands had been clenched into fists for so long that he strongly suspected his nails pierced the skin in places.

"Bloody…hell," Snape growled. "They let him _out_ of the _Shack_?" He closed his eyes, remembering how he'd gotten into the tunnel leading to the Shack, how he'd heard something snuffling the other end…

_Then that something howled and charged, mouth open and fangs dripping. He'd tried to crawl back, but it was slow going, and hard to reach his wand in the confined space…_

_Then Potter appeared behind him, firing a spell between Snape's arms and legs that sent the beast tumbling, and pulled him to safety…_

"Does that arrogant prat ever bloody learn!" Snape found himself shouting. "Bad enough that I nearly got killed by that damn werewolf when it…"

"Sev," Lily interjected. "Remus is not an animal, he's a person." She sighed. "A person with a very dangerous condition."

Snape sighed. "I never said he wasn't a person, or that it was his fault." He inhaled before continuing. "Bad enough that the werewolf nearly killed me when it…he…was confined, but now they're letting him _out_?"

Lily nodded. "That stupid, reckless _boy_! Someone could be seriously hurt! Someone could end up being _infected_!"

_Yes_, he thought. _Made into a monster, like Lupin._

Lily scowled. "How could I have been so foolish?"

"You know," he began. "I did say…"

She locked her emerald eyes onto his. "You did, Sev, but you'd been following James and his friends around for weeks, trying to catch them doing something out of line."

"To get them expelled, to finally be rid of them," he said. "You saw how cruel they were."

"Yes, but you spent time badgering them. Why spend any more time in their company than necessary?"

"Because…" He fished for an explanation. _Enough_. She didn't come here to fight about the past. Gears began turning in his head. _She and Potter are on the outs. This could resound to your benefit — don't throw this chance away!_

"Never mind," he said. "You were saying?"

She looked at him for a long moment, then started ranting about Potter again. "He was so much better this year. He didn't go hexing people, he didn't blather on about how great he was at Quidditch, he didn't…"

Snape raised an eyebrow. _He didn't go around hexing people?_ _Could've fooled me, with him and his little groupie Pettigrew ambushing me on the battlements that night._ Snape kept his mouth shut. _Let her go on._

"And then this!" she half-shouted. "Roaming about with Remus while he was transformed! And this isn't the first time either!" She paused, breathing in and out for a moment. "I knew Remus was ill often and I knew that James and his friends slipped out of the common room at night, but I thought they were just raiding the kitchens!"

_They were, at least some of the time_, Snape thought, recalling his own nighttime espionage. _But not always…_

She hung her head. "He was so charming, so charismatic, but _look_ at what he was doing!"

Snape raised a hand to place on her shoulder, to comfort her. He made it about halfway there.

_She chose Potter, knowing full well he had attacked you_, a dark voice inside said. _Let her stew in her remorse for awhile._

But another part of him disagreed.

_Aren't there things you regret?_

He squeezed his eyes shut.

_Yes there are._

March 15th, 1975

8 PM

"What's this?" Mulciber said. "Is that Niles Green?"

Mulciber's words pinned the Hufflepuff first-year to the wall where he stood. "Y…yes?" he asked.

Mulciber chuckled. "Good evening, Mr. Green. What brings you to this part of the castle this late?"

Snape watched as Mulciber regarded the younger student. _It was foolish of him to come here_, he thought. Everyone knew that the area around the Slytherin dormitory was off-limits for Muggle-borns — he'd made sure that he and Lily met up at the library or even Gryffindor Tower — so for the boy to come down here, particularly alone and in the evening — was asking for trouble.

"How'd you find the castle?" Mulciber asked, sauntering towards the other student. Snape could hear Avery chuckle beside him. "The place looks like a ruin to Muggles, I'm told."

The boy made a brave face. "I…I'm not a Muggle," he protested.

Mulciber shrugged and Avery's chuckles reached a new pitch. "Could have fooled me, _Mudblood_," he sneered.

"Yeah, _Mudblood_," Avery repeated.

"Mudblood," Snape sneered, joining in. _I'm not such a greenhorn that I'd go anywhere near a nest of blood-purity fanatics alone._ He learned soon after coming to Hogwarts to avoid certain purebloods, even though Malfoy had always looked out for him. _Let's hope he learns his lesson._

He watched as the Hufflepuff flinched and suppressed a smile. Part of him said he was being no better than Potter, but another part of him enjoyed the exercise of strength, enjoying seeing the power his words had.

Mulciber continued his approach and the younger boy drew his wand.

"Stay away!" the boy squeaked.

"Expelliarmus!" Mulciber shouted and the wand jumped away. "How'd you get a wand, _Mudblood_?" he asked. "Steal it from a more deserving wizard?"

"No!" the boy said. "I got in Diagon Alley, the same as…"

"NO!" Mulciber shouted and the boy jumped. Mulciber moved as though he would leap onto the boy and the Hufflepuff screamed and fell over. Avery laughed and Snape found himself chuckling along.

"No," Mulciber said more quietly. "You're not the same as us." He snorted with disdain, then gestured at the wand. "Go get your wand and get the hell out of here," he said. "Be glad the Mudblood-lover Dumbledore's in charge here and not someone with more taste."

The boy scrambled for his wand and ran down the corridor. Mulciber stepped back to Avery and Snape with an evil grin on his face. "That was good for a laugh, wasn't it?" he asked.

"Yes, it was," Snape said.

January 21st, 1977

11:35 AM

He kept his eyes shut for a long time. Part of him still remembered the power he and his friends had over the other boy with relish, but part of him, the conscience he often tried to ignore, looked back on what he'd done with horror.

_You should have listened to the part of you that said you were no better than Potter_, he thought. _You should have realized that if there weren't Muggle-borns around, they'd have sneered at you for having a Muggle father._

Their own later actions proved how poor of friends they were anyway. He could understand why Mulciber had turned on him after the duel, but why Avery? _Avery hadn't been punished for his part in luring Mulciber into the duel—hell, he'd even been commended for running to Malfoy—so why did he join Mulciber in attacking me?_

He restrained himself from snorting. _I'm a blood traitor now._

He looked at Lily, saw how sad she looked. _She was angry at you for being friends with them, but she gave you a second chance, found you better friends. Show her the same kindness._

He laid his hand on Lily's shoulder. "It's all right," he said.

She smiled. "Thanks, Sev."

They embraced and Snape felt the coldness inside him dissolving. He wasn't quite sure what would happen next — as far as he knew, she was still with Potter and he did not wish to hurt Sarah, even though he didn't feel for her the way she felt for him — but this was nice indeed.

_Very nice._

Little did he know they were being watched…

January 21st, 1977

11:30 AM

Sarah Jewell was walking past the castle on her way to Care of Magical Creatures when she saw movement in an open window. Snape and Lily were entering an empty classroom, apparently a big hurry.

_I wonder what's going on?_ She knew they were still on somewhat friendly terms, but the looks on both their faces indicated something more was going on Clouds of disquiet began forming around her heart. _I'm not going to spy, I'm not going to spy,_ she resolved and quickly rushed away.

As she made her way towards Hagrid's cabin, the disquiet within her grew. She looked back towards the castle and her walking slowed.

_I wonder what they're talking about_, she thought. She knew that Snape had always fancied Lily — although he never talked much about her when she was around, she knew that he and Lily had been friends before Hogwarts — but she thought with Lily dating James and him dating her, that he liked her too, perhaps as much as Lily.

She stopped. She had to see what was going on. Slowly, almost guiltily, she turned around and made her way back towards the classroom.

As she drew near the classroom window, she saw Snape and Lily discussing something. Lily was standing there talking about something that must be quite important based on her wild gestures, while Snape stood there silently and took it all in his with dark eyes. Lily fell silent for a moment and Snape raised a hand, only to stop it in midair for a moment.

_Is he going to touch her?_ Anxiety rose from inside her to cloud her rational mind. She tried to force it back down, but her fears kept her eyes locked on the two of them.

Snape stood there for a moment, eyes closed. Then he opened his eyes again and laid his hand on her shoulder.

Lily looked up at him. Their eyes locked.

_No._

They embraced and held each other for awhile.

Sarah rushed away, tears filling her eyes.

_No, no, no!_


	15. Ravenclaw Trouble

**Ravenclaw Trouble**

By Matthew W. Quinn

January 21st, 1977

3:30 PM

Severus Snape made his way up the long, twisting staircase to the top of Ravenclaw Tower.

_Okay_, he thought. _We were supposed to meet up in one of the disused classrooms to experiment with spells and she wasn't there._ Snape considered returning to the Slytherin common room to study or read, but decided it might be best to go looking for Sarah at the Ravenclaw dormitories. _If she's not there, perhaps John or some other people will be there, and they might know where she is._

He came to the flat, empty door that marked the dormitory entrance. He stared at the door for a moment before mustering all his politeness and speaking.

"Good afternoon."

An eagle's beak emerged from the door.

"You're not a Ravenclaw," it observed.

_Obviously._

The beak tilted to the side, as if the eagle's unseen eyes were regarding him. "You're smart enough to be one, I'll give you that."

_Thanks._

"But since you're not a Ravenclaw, I can't give you a riddle. What are you here for?"

_Why does that thing want to know?_ Still, it couldn't hurt to be honest.

"I'm here to see Sarah Jewell."

The beak remained silent for a moment. "She's here, but I don't think she wants to see you, if you're who I think you are."

_What?_

"Why might this be?"

The beak did not answer, instead sliding back into the wooden flesh of the door. Snape scowled.

_What in the name of Merlin is going on?_

He didn't have long to wait. The door flew open and he saw a pair of dark eyes staring back at him. He thought the eyes might belong to Sarah for a moment, until he realized that the eyes were embedding in a rather masculine face that loomed above him.

_Ian._

"Hallo," he began. "Is Sarah…?"

He didn't get the chance to finish his sentence.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Snape?" Ian shouted. He seized Snape by his collar and pulled him up so their eyes locked.

_What the hell?_ "I have no idea what you're talking about!" Snape shouted. "What the hell's your problem?"

Ian shoved him forward. Snape managed to land on his feet on one of the steps below the entrance to the dormitory and drew his wand. The elder Jewell went for his own wand.

_Expelliarmus_. The wand leaped out of the Head Boy's hand, but Jewell was able to snatch it back just as quickly. The two of them faced each other, eyes locked.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Jewell repeated, face red with rage. "She saved your life, you little snake, and…"

_Something's going on that I don't know about._

"What's your problem, Ian?" Snape demanded. "I came up here because I was supposed to meet up with Sarah earlier today and…"

"Meet up with Sarah after you've hurt her like you did?" Jewell snapped. "Such cheek! I ought to hex you right now and…"

"How did I hurt her?" Snape demanded. "I would never do that!"

Jewell regarded Snape with his dark eyes. "Well, I would think once you're dating someone, you stay with that person unless it _absolutely_ isn't working, in which case you then agree to end it." He scowled in a manner that reminded Snape much of himself. "You don't go cuddling with other people in classrooms when you think nobody else is looking."

_Lily. That must be what he's referring to._ He didn't know how the siblings Jewell knew about his meeting with Lily, but it was enough that they did. "You think I was cheating on Sarah with Lily?" Part of him found the notion of betraying Sarah to be repellant, but another part of him wished that he really _was_ with Lily. He forced that part of him aside for a moment.

"Pretty much," Jewell said. His scowl deepened. "You little ingrate. Sarah was kind to you when Lily blew you off and…"

_Don't you _dare_ insult Lily_, he snarled, barely restraining himself from hexing the other boy It was true that Lily had run to Potter first, but Potter _was_ badly hurt. The fact that Lily dated him afterward still rankled, but he wasn't going to let Jewell sneer about that.

"Guess what, Ian? Nothing's going on between Lily and me. Lily is still with _Potter_, as far as I know."

Jewell raised an eyebrow. "As far as you know? Is something going on?"

"Nothing that I can talk about," he said. Dumbledore had threatened to expel him if he revealed Lupin's secret to anyone — he had only told Lily because he trusted her to keep her mouth shut.

Jewell regarded him skeptically. "I don't believe you."

Snape restrained himself from snorting. "So? You're still wrong."

Jewell narrowed his eyes. He stared at Snape for a long moment. "Well then, why are you here?"

_I told you already._ _For a Ravenclaw, you're remarkably dense._ "I came to see Sarah. The knocker said…"

"She's here. She doesn't want to see you."

_Because she thinks I'm running around on her, I imagine_. Much as he still loved Lily, he wouldn't want to hurt Sarah like that. "Well, can you tell her what's really going on? Lily and I were discussing a private matter concerning a friend of hers. That's why we snuck off like we did."

Jewell raised an eyebrow.

"And the hugging?"

Snape restrained himself from snorting. _I wish that meant what you think it meant._ "We've been friends since we were nine. No need to worry."

Jewell still looked skeptical, but he nodded. "All right. No guarantees."

_As expected._

The older Ravenclaw disappeared into the common room but returned quickly. "I have told her. She still doesn't want to speak to you."

Snape scowled. "Very well. C…could you tell me if anything changes?"

"Perhaps," Jewell spat. "Have a good afternoon."

_This conversation's over._ Snape turned and began descending the staircase.

January 21st, 1977

3:40 PM

Snape made his way down a corridor towards the Slytherin dormitory. He supposed he could seek out Lily or John, but Lily was probably off somewhere with Potter and he didn't know if John would take Snape's side or that of the Jewells.

Relatively few people were in the corridor. Snape figured some of them might still be in afternoon classes, but most would have probably gone outside. It was cold, but it was sunny.

He passed by a staircase. _That one will get me to the right level, eventually, but there's another one closer in. It's not that far…_

Then something he couldn't see slammed into him from the right. Snape knew from many painful prior experiences what it was. _Potter and his minions under their damnable cloak!_

Snape tumbled down the stairs. _I was wondering when they'd be back to their old tricks._ Potter and his gang had not attacked him since the duel on the battlements months before, a fact that Snape attributed to Potter having won Lily's affections, the sheer damage Snape had inflicted on the arrogant Gryffindor, or a combination of the two. Snape held his wand close to him, not wanting to lose it and not wanting it to break either.

He landed on his back at the bottom of the stairs. _Stupefy! Confringo!_ Two bursts of magical light erupted from his wand and rocketed up the stairs, hitting nothing. _Damn it._

A moment later, a mass of banana peels, potato skins, and bread crusts erupted from the thin air atop the stairs. Behind the flying food, Snape could get a glimpse of at least two people under the Invisibility Cloak. Snape fired another spell at them, but if he hit them, he saw no sign.

The food scraps fell onto him like a damp rain. Snape kept his eyes open and wand out in case the Gryffindor hooligans came down the stairs to take advantage of him while he was in a bad position, but nothing happened.

"Cowards!" Snape shouted. They knew what he could do now and would only risk a hit-and-run attack.

A big rotten tomato descended from above and splattered all over his face. Snape cursed and spat out the chunks of decaying fruit. He could hear the Gryffindor boys snicker as they scampered away.

_Damn it._


	16. Damage Control

**Damage Control**

By Matthew W. Quinn

**Author's Note: Kudos to Duj for making the points about the nature of the Marauders' "close calls."**

January 21st, 1977

4 PM

Lily Evans sat on a sofa in the Gryffindor common room, studying for her upcoming Transfigurations test.

_McGonagall is anal-retentive about getting the spells right_, she thought. _I'll have to learn these extra carefully._ She examined the list of spells she needed to learn. Incarcerous, which overlapped a lot with Defense Against the Dark Arts, Orchideous, and Lecturious.

She liked the latter spell — generating couches for people to sit could be helpful at parties and other events.

_All right. I need to a nice clear space to practice Lecturious and perhaps a target for Incarcerous._ Practicing those in the common room might not be such a good idea. Orchideous, however, would be easy enough anywhere…

Suddenly, she felt something tickling around her neck.

"James?" she asked. She figured that sooner or later, he'd try to get back into her good graces. _Didn't quite expect a tickle-fight, although I'm always up for those._

The tickling continued and Lily realized that whatever was touching her neck, it wasn't a living hand. Instead, it was cold and metallic. She reached up and grabbed at whatever it was. She pulled it forward and saw that it was a gold necklace with a small ruby teardrop on it.

_Wow_, she thought. _It's beautiful._ Curiosity furrowed her brow. _What's going on?_ She turned around.

"I think it goes well with your hair," James Potter said from behind her. He flicked his wand like a fishing road and the necklace danced around her neck. "You like it?"

"It's wonderful, James," she began. _How very nice of him, to want to give me a present._

Then she wondered about the timing and that soured everything.

"Is this because of the incident the other night?"

Potter looked a bit uncomfortable. _Gotcha_. Her happiness at James' gift dissolved into annoyance. She pulled the necklace from her neck and tossed it back to him.

"You can't buy me, James."

He scowled. "Wasn't trying to," he said. "Just thought if I put you in a better mood, you might want to listen."

Lily closed her book. "I'm listening, but if you're making the same arguments you made this morning, I'm not agreeing."

Potter sighed. "Lily, you're being unreasonable. What happened the other night was a freak thing — ordinarily nobody else is out that late. This is the first time in almost a year…"

Lily raised an eyebrow. "Almost a year? What happened almost a year ago, James?"

Potter looked even more uncomfortable. "We were exploring Hogsmeade in animal form and someone stumbled out one of the pubs we thought was closed. Remus went for him, but I was able to pin him against the wall while Sirius frightened the guy off."

Lily's barely restrained her jaw from dropping. "You had one near miss and you didn't _stop_? Are you _insane_?"

Potter scowled. "Lily, please. It's for Remus's sake."

The door to the common room swung open and Lupin and Black strolled in, the latter still munching on a pastry he no doubt nicked from the kitchens without permission. "Hallo, Lily," Lupin said.

"Ah, speak of the devil," Potter said. "Moony, could you come here for a minute?"

Lupin looked a bit uneasy, but he came over.

"Look at his arms, Lily," Potter said.

"Prongs…" Lupin began.

_He's really uncomfortable._ "James, you don't need to bring Remus into this."

"All right," Potter said. "But if he doesn't have us around…"

Lily locked eyes with Potter. "I'm not saying you ought to abandon him entirely, James! I'm saying…"

"Lily," Lupin began weakly.

Lily turned her gaze to Lupin. "I'm not angry at you, Remus," she said. _Although I wonder how much you're involved in planning these nighttime excursions. If you have been doing this for over a year, surely you have a say in the matter._

She then turned her gaze back to Potter. "I am mad at you, James. You're the ringleader here."

"Hey," Black said. "It was initially my idea!"

"Padfoot!" Potter ejaculated. Lily turned her gaze to him.

"Sirius, this was your idea?"

"Yeah," he said casually. "We were all kind of bored just sitting around in the Shack all night. One full moon, I thought it might be a good idea to take Lupin for a walk and Prongs here thought it was a good idea too."

Lily turned back to Potter. "And you went along with this?"

"It seemed like a good idea. We stayed in the Forbidden Forest at first, where nobody goes…"

"Except for Hagrid!" she half-shouted. "And the centaurs too!"

"I think that centaurs can't become werewolves, and I think Hagrid's giant blood would protect him," Black said helpfully.

"James, why are you going along with this? I thought you'd grown up lately!"

_Like Sev has._ She furrowed her brow. _Why am I thinking of Sev right now?_ It was true, though. He'd turned on his would-be Death Eater friends for her sake and she hadn't heard him use the word "Mudblood" since the day he ambushed Mulciber. On the other hand, James was stubbornly sticking to his foolish and dangerous behavior. _Sev is just as smart as James, and he's starting to look more mature too._ She nearly smiled. _If James knew you were thinking that, he'd go mental._

"I'm not doing this just for kicks, Lily," Potter protested. "It's for Remus' sake and…"

Lily sighed. "You're just repeating the same thing over and over. You're impossible."

She gathered up her books. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got some studying to do." She crammed her books into her bag and made her way towards the stairs leading up to the girls' dormitory.

"Lily, please," Potter said as she began ascending the stairs. As she walked away from him, he started following after her.

"Come on," he said. He scrambled up the stairs behind her. "We'll stay away from the grounds and Hogsmeade! We'll stay in the Forbidden Forest where it's safer!"

"I've got studying to do, James," Lily said. _Best not take that next step._

Potter took the next step. A siren went off and the stairs sank into the stone. Potter tottered unsteadily, trying to balance on a surface that had suddenly become slippery smooth, and tumbled backwards.

Barely suppressing a smile at the predicament of her boyfriend—for now—Lily vanished into the girls' dormitory, shutting the door behind her.

January 21st, 1977

4:10 PM

Potter rubbed his neck and looked up at the closed door into the Gryffindor girls' dormitories.

"Well that didn't work," he said with a scowl.


	17. Making No Headway

**Making No Headway**

By Matthew W. Quinn

**Author's note: Kudos to Duj for the idea about the flour-spell and kudos to the writers of the essay "But Snape Is Just Nasty, Right?" for some interesting concepts (the Moors Murders taking place during Snape's childhood, for example)**

January 26th, 1977

1 PM

"She still not want to talk to you?" John Anderson asked.

Severus Snape shook his head. "No."

Anderson clapped Snape on the shoulder. Snape flinched a little at the touch but said nothing.

"I'm sorry about that, mate." He leaned closer. "Just between you and me, most of us in Ravenclaw think she's overreacting."

_Glad to know that common sense hasn't gone out the window up there._

The two of them made their way out of the Great Hall. They had a fair bit of time between classes and so they'd decided to stake out a disused classroom and tinker with some spells.

"Okay," Snape said once they'd gotten settled in the classroom. "What's this big spell you said you were working on?"

"Well, you ever been woken up in the morning by birds?"

"Not here." _Back home is a different matter._ He'd love to be able to lie in like Mum or Lily, but he reliably woke up at 7 a.m. _Like Father._ He suppressed the urge to scowl. A lot of time, his involuntary early rising had to do with the birds.

Anderson smiled. "You're down in the dungeon though. Up in Ravenclaw Tower, things are a bit different."

"Will the Silencing Charm not work?"

Anderson shook his head.

"The Silencing Charm only works when you know where the target is. I'm interested in an area-effect spell."

Snape raised an eyebrow. "That could be useful." _If you're casting a spell at someone who moves quickly or is able to deflect the spell, an area-effect spell would work. The magical equivalent of a hand grenade._

Snape repressed another urge to scowl. That analogy reminded him of Father, when the man had been drinking and gotten the urge to bond with his strange son by telling him unpleasant tales of the colonial wars he'd fought in.

"I think I've been able to get the Silencing part to work, but I still haven't worked the bugs out of it."

Snape raised an eyebrow. "Wouldn't it be better to practice it outside, where there are actually _birds_?"

Anderson looked a sheepish. "That's a good idea," he began. "But if we do it inside, on a smaller scale…"

He looked at Snape. "Maybe once we can test it on some birds once we work the targeting bugs out."

Snape shrugged. "Fair enough."

Anderson continued. "Don't you have a spell you'd like to tinker with?"

Snape nodded. He'd thought of it after he'd picked himself up from the bottom of the stairs and gotten the last bits of that nasty tomato out of his teeth. _James and his gang like to attack under that Invisibility Cloak. If something were to get on the cloak — dirt or water or something — it would make them at least partially visible._

He considered the Aguamenti charm, but water wouldn't affect the Invisibility Cloak as much as he would like. _The water would make the cloak cling to them but unless it were dirty water, it would affect the invisibility properties of the Cloak. Something solid, on the other hand, would be easy to spot._

"I'm sure you may have heard of my great fall the other day," Snape said. He didn't like bringing that sort of thing up, but he figured the Ravenclaw boy wouldn't laugh at him.

Anderson nodded. "Yeah. Potter and his gang again?"

_Probably._ "Not sure which ones it was, although there was at least two under the Cloak. I'd like to cast a spell that would generate flour, dirt, or something else, something that would stick to the Cloak and make it visible."

Anderson nodded. "Generating flour might be a bit tricky, since magic can't be used to make food. Of course, flour isn't, strictly speaking, food, and it doesn't matter if it vanishes in an hour."

Snape nodded. "You know the Latin word for flour?"

"Farina."

_Okay. Farina is flour and facio is the proper tense of 'I make.' Only one way to find out if this works._

"Faciofarina!" He stabbed with his wand. Nothing happened.

_Blast._

"Faciofarina!" He swirled with his wand this time. He put a lot more wrist motion into it than he normally would—he was frustrated with the failure of the first result, frustrated that Sarah wouldn't talk to him, and still frustrated that Lily was with Potter even though the reckless idiot had put her life at risk!

Flour erupted from the wand, coating Anderson and the table in front of him thoroughly. _Oh bugger!_ He could feel color rushing into his cheeks and started stammering.

"Sorry," Snape began, the words of apology coming far faster than they used to. Among the Slytherin, apologizing often meant an unacceptable loss of face and he knew better than to try to apologize to his father when he was offended about something. However, Snape found the Ravenclaws a lot more relaxed.

Anderson just started laughing. "I think you just invented a new spell, Severus," he said. He pointed his wand at himself, flicked his wrist, and the flour vanished.

"All right," Snape said. "Your turn."

Anderson scrunched up his face with thought. "You know," he said. "It might be better to do this outside."

Snape raised an eyebrow. "Where there are actually _birds_?"

"Yeah."

January 26th, 1977

2 PM

Snape and Anderson played around with the new Silencing spell outside for nearly an hour, until Anderson had to leave for Charms class. Snape didn't have Charms until the next day and still had an hour to kill, so he made his way to the cove where he and Lily used to visit. He climbed onto the large rock by the lake and looked out over the water.

_Life's often not fair_, he mused. He'd come to the point where he had to choose between Mulciber and Lily and he chose her, only to lose her to the villain _Potter_. Although things looked strained between her and the other Gryffindor, he suspected they'd patch them up soon enough.

_Potter is good with people, I am not. Potter is charming, I am not. Potter has a way to dazzle with words, I do not._

His scowl deepened. To top it off, the brief happiness he found with Sarah, the girl who was just as smart and inventive as he was even though she didn't set his heart aflame with her presence the way Lily did, was over too.

_Alone again._ It was true, he was still friends with John and his circle (other than Sarah and Ian of course), but he wondered about that. The Jewell siblings were Ravenclaws and Ian was Head Boy, so it was unlikely they'd chose him over them if it came time to make a choice.

He sighed and looked around the little haven he'd found by the lake. He thought back to the day he showed Lily the place…

October 10th, 1971

4 PM

"You like it?" Snape asked, gesturing extravagantly to the little cove by the lake. He'd found the place while rambling through the nearby woods by himself a few weeks before. It was very hard to see from the fields surrounding the castle, particularly if one stayed close to the cliff that rose behind them. "It's the perfect place to study, particularly if we don't want annoying people interrupting."

Lily nodded. "Yeah." She frowned. "Some people in Slytherin have been really nasty to me for some reason."

Snape frowned. _Somebody messing with you?_ He'd make them pay if they were. "How so?"

Lily continued frowning. "They're always calling me 'Mudblood.' I don't like it."

Snape scowled. _Uh-oh_. He told Lily on the playground two years before that being Muggle-born didn't matter and although what he said was true, strictly speaking — there were Muggle-borns more powerful and skilled than Purebloods — that didn't necessarily mean that blood purity didn't matter to _other people_.

"Who was it?"

"Justin Avery, mostly. And Evan Rosier once tried to trip me in the hall."

Snape's scowl deepened. "I'll have to talk to Avery about that." _He won't keep that up if he knows what's good for him._ Now that he had a wand of his own and didn't have to borrow Mum's — whenever Father wasn't trying to hide it — he could practice those curses Mum taught him to use on the bad strangers who'd been hurting Muggle children. _Avery can be cool sometimes_, he thought. _He's pureblood, but doesn't sneer at you about Father the way some of the others do._ He frowned. _ He still ought not to bother Lily._

Rosier would be a different matter — he was more powerful than Avery and stronger-willed. He wouldn't behave himself around Lily if Snape merely asked him to.

"I'm glad they won't be able to find us here," Lily.

Snape nodded. He had his own list of people to avoid. He had to take pains to get to every class the Slytherin shared with the Gryffindors early because if James Potter and his friends had gotten there first, there was sure to be a bucket of water above the door that had been spelled to fall on him and him only.

_Damn them._

"Okay," he began. "What…"

January 26th, 1977

2 PM

A voice, unexpected but very familiar, pulled him out of his memory.

"Sev…"


	18. Always

**Always**

By Matthew W. Quinn

January 26th, 1977

2 PM

"Sev," Lily Evans said as she climbed onto the rock and sat down near Snape. "I was wondering where you were."

Snape allowed himself a small smile. "Looking for me?"

She nodded. "That, and avoiding Potter."

_This is interesting._ Snape raised an eyebrow. "Whatever for?"

Lily rolled her eyes. "Ever since I called him on what he's been up to with Lupin, he's been trying to win my favor again with gifts and grandiose gestures. It's actually getting kind of embarrassing."

Snape's eyebrow rose higher. "Has he burst into song in the common room yet, or proclaimed his everlasting love while jumping up and down on one of the sofas?"

Lily giggled, then made a gagging gesture with two fingers. "Thanks be to Merlin, no, although I'm wondering when he'll get to that."

She fell silent for a moment.

"What is it that you see in Potter, exactly?" he asked. He tried to keep his voice neutral and pleasant, but found himself hard pressed to keep the hatred and resentment from seeping into his tone.

Lily sighed. "He's just got this _magnetism_ to him," she said. "His presence can light up a room."

_Just like you can._

"And he's brave, funny, and loyal to his friends. You know how difficult it is to become an Animagus, how it takes fully-trained wizards many years to become one, but he and the others became Animagi in _three years_, all to help Lupin. Most wizards would have turned away in disgust from a werewolf, but not only did they _not_ do this, but they undertook a very difficult, dangerous task and succeeded at it."

_A list of admirable qualities. However, I think his cruelty and his arrogance outweigh them all._

She shook her head. "Unfortunately, the arrogance and recklessness I thought he'd shed are still there — they're just a little deeper under the surface, underneath the good qualities."

"Funny, I've never seen those," Snape replied acidly

Lily rolled her eyes. "Sev, you're not in the same House as we are. All you saw of him was him being immature and trying to hex you."

"Which, by the way, he's started again."

Lily narrowed her eyes. "What?" Anger seeped into her voice and Snape smiled inwardly. _If she's angry at Potter already, she'll be right pissed when I tell her what they did._

Snape relayed to her the incident involving the Invisibility Cloak, the stairs, and the big rotten tomato. By the end of it, Lily was not a happy camper.

"I'm going to have to talk to him about that," she said. "Even if it was someone other than him — which I doubt, given he returned to the common room soon after this incident — he gave them the cloak to use."

_Hopefully your 'talk' will involve hexes or swift kicks to the balls_. He allowed himself a smile at the thought of Potter in pain.

Then his more serious side took over. He now knew what Lily saw in Potter, but he didn't know what Lily _didn't_ see in him.

"Lily," he began. "What is it that I lack?" He felt his heart beginning to pound. He never liked being criticized — it reminded him far too much of Father when he was in one of his moods and he figured he criticized himself enough as it was — but this could be good for him.

Lily inhaled. "Well…for starters, after we came to Hogwarts, I didn't like who you were running around with."

_Avery and Mulciber, _he thought_. Sons of Death Eaters. You're Muggle-born; that makes sense._

"But just because…"

She held up her hand and Snape fell silent. "Obviously it's unreasonable to ask you not to make friends in your own House, but the group you were hanging out with was a different matter. They were changing you, Sev. You started loving the Dark Arts more, called people 'Mudblood,' which especially bothered me…"

Snape nodded. "Yeah." He hung his head, thinking back to the times when he, Mulciber, and Avery would terrorize Muggle-born students for kicks. "I see that now."

He saw what might have been the beginning of a smile on her face. "And you got more and more stubborn — you didn't _listen_ when I said I was worried about you." She paused. "Although after the fight with _Mulciber_" — an expression of disgust crossed her face — "you got better about that."

_True._

"And I've always been a bit uncomfortable with the way you like Dark Magic. You're a good person — what attracts you to that stuff?"

"Mum taught me some when I was young, using her wand," Snape said. "The Moors Murders." Lily nodded. Snape inhaled and continued. "I kept it up. I've always, you know, wanted to feel powerful, feel important. The Dark Arts can give me that. And," he locked eyes with her, "That knowledge can come in handy when there's a war on. Fight evil with its own weapons. If it weren't for Sectumsempra, I'd be dead now, and so would Mum and Father."

_And possibly you too_, he thought. _You didn't know there were Death Eaters there when you came over._

Lily nodded. He could tell she didn't fully agree — she of course didn't need the Dark Arts to be feel important and respected — but she at least understood.

"Is that it?" Snape asked.

"Well, that and," Lily toyed idly with her hair, "I've never really thought of you as a boyfriend. One doesn't usually think of friends one has from when you're that young as being, well, that kind of friend, you know."

Snape gulped. _Confession time._

"I…I've always seen you as something more than a friend," he admitted. "From the day I first saw you in the park." He could feel his heart pounding in his ears as he spoke, releasing his great secret in its entirety. During the frantic conversations in the aftermath of the duel with Potter, he'd hinted he'd fancied her for awhile, but he didn't go into a lot of detail.

Lily's eyes widened. "All this time?" The way she said it made it seem like something unusual, something strange.

_I've always been strange_. He pushed the dark thought away and tried to keep a friendly expression, hoping not to frighten Lily.

"Always."

Lily looked at him for a long moment. Then she moved away from him, as though she was going to get up and walk away.

_No._ Snape felt his heart beginning to crumble. _She no doubt thinks you're an obsessed weirdo who has only been her friend for so long because you want to seduce her._

Lily's expression softened. _She must've seen the hurt on my face_.

"Sev," she said, reaching out and laying a hand on his. Her touch stopped his heart from crumbling. "I need time."

_That's certainly better than 'Get away from me, you creep.'_

"I understand."

She got up and walked back towards the castle.

Snape looked back out over the lake and allowed himself a small smile. _Perhaps she's going to go break up with Potter. Wouldn't that be fun?_

Then the smile drained away from his face. _Unlikely. She'll remember how I watched her and Petunia for days prior to making my move and think me peculiar, creepy. Then she'll think about Potter and his charisma and his loyalty to his friends and decide he's a better bargain, arrogant as he is._

Snape looked at his watch. _Might be a good time to get to class now._

He waited a few minutes for decency's sake and then set off towards the castle.


	19. Choosing Wrongly

Choosing Wrongly

**Choosing Wrongly**

By Matthew W. Quinn

**Author's Note: Credit for some of the details about the Shrieking Shack belongs to Duj.**

January 26th, 1977

7:30 PM

"Lily!" James Potter declared as Lily Evans entered the Gryffindor common room.

"Hallo, James," Lily said, with much less enthusiasm. "We need to talk. _Now._"

Potter cocked his head. "Is something wrong?" He rose from the sofa and walked over to her.

"Well, James, actually there is," she said, allowing a hint of anger into her voice. "I spoke to Sev earlier today" — Potter rolled his eyes — "and he said that he was attacked the other day by someone under the Invisibility Cloak. Make that a _pair_ of someones, I might add. I'd heard about it, but not from anyone directly involved and if I recall correctly, you _promised_ me you'd never go hexing other students unless they hexed you first."

She swallowed. "Did you attack Sev?"

Potter remained silent for a moment. "Yes, Lily, I did," he said quietly. "It was Padfoot and me."

Anger erupted inside her. "_James!_"

"Lily, please," Potter said. "Obviously at some point Sni…Snape told you that Lupin was a werewolf. Dumbledore made him promise to keep that secret! If word got out that a werewolf was a student here, most of the parents would riot!" His voice dropped an octave. "My own parents would be among them. They don't know he's a werewolf — if they find out I've been sharing a common room with a werewolf and sometimes having him over during the summer, they'd flip their lids."

Lily raised an eyebrow. "I thought your parents let you get away with a lot of stuff."

"A lot, yeah, but not something like _that! _ The parents'll put pressure on the governors; they'd force Dumbledore to expel him! Werewolves have a hard enough time as it is — what chance do you think Moony would have with only some O.W.L.s and no N.E.W.T.s?"

_Not a good chance at all._ She knew about the prejudices that existing in the wizarding world against werewolves, how many of them had tired of being discriminated against and denied all but the most transitory or menial employment and sworn allegiance to Voldemort.

_His loyalty to Remus is touching, yes, but there's a difference between helping and protecting a friend and what James and his friends are doing._

"Remus this and Remus that!" Lily hissed. "Are you really doing all this for his sake or are you just using him as your excuse?"

Potter opened his mouth, and then closed it again. _Busted._

"Look, Lily, please. We'll stay off the grounds, we'll stay out of Hogsmeade. We'll stay in the Forbidden Forest, where it's safe. We won't risk hurting anyone again!"

Lily put her hands on her hips. "Given where the Whomping Willow is located and how there's only one way in and out of the Shack, _how_ exactly are you doing to stay off the grounds?"

Potter scowled. "How'd you know that?"

"Sev told me, when he first told me his side of the story. He said he'd seen Madame Pomfrey taking Lupin into a tunnel near the Willow and he'd scouted around the Shack, looking for another way in before he tried the tunnel."

Potter's scowl deepened. "Why are you taking his side all the time? Isn't Moony your friend too? Aren't I your boyfriend?"

_You won't be for long if you keep this up._ "It's not a matter of siding with Sev against you and Remus, James. This is a matter of right and wrong."

"Lily, please. Don't make me choose between you and my friends. Even with us in there, Moony gets a little stir-crazy and…"

_Enough excuses._ "Fine then," Lily said. "We're through."

Potter's jaw dropped and Lily raised an eyebrow. _You didn't seriously expect me to put up with this, did you?_

"Lily," he said. "Lily, please. We can…"

"Save your breath," she said. "You've made your decision and I've made mine. I'm not going to be with a boy who puts others at risk like that, even _if_ it is to help his friends."

Potter sighed. "All right," he said. He fell silent for a moment. "Can I ask a question?"

_This is odd_, Lily thought. "You may."

"Yo…You're not leaving me for Sni…Snape are you?"

Lily barely restrained her jaw from dropping. "James!" she exclaimed. "Why would you think that?"

As she spoke, she considered the possibility.

_I told Sev I admired James' bravery. We Gryffindors pride ourselves on that and like to think of the Slytherin as being a bunch of self-interested cowards, but Sev's not like that at all. He fought Mulciber and later the three Death Eaters who attacked his parents, and then against Avery and Mulciber too._

She then considered how he'd pretty much alienated every friend he had in Slytherin in the process. _No coward would alienate most of his friends for the sake of a 'Mudblood.'_ _He _is_ brave, not only physically, but morally too._

Her thoughts shifted to loyalty to friends and she swallowed.

_Sev was hurt, hurt badly when I chose Potter, to the point where he tried to kill himself. He had every right to ignore me afterwards and devote all his attention to Sarah, but he stayed my best friend._ James was loyal to Remus despite his affliction, even at the risk of angering his usually-tolerant parents, and spent years learning to become an Animagus. However, Remus had never hurt James the way she'd hurt Sev, even though she wasn't aware of his feelings until it was too late.

"Well, lately you've been spending a lot of time with him, and taking his part against me," Potter said, pulling her out of her thoughts. "I thought that maybe…"

"What I choose to do with my life is none of your business, James," she said.

Potter reddened. "I wasn't saying it was, Lily. I…I was just wondering."

Lily considered a moment. "I haven't really thought of what I was going to do," she said. _Although I certainly will soon enough._

"Now excuse me, but I need to go study." It was not a total lie — she _did_ need to study for Transfigurations. "Have a good night." She turned towards the stairs leading up to the Gryffindor girls' dormitories.

"You have a good night too!" Potter called after her.

She suppressed a laugh at the lameness of James' comment and considered not answering him, but decided that would be rude.

"You too, James."


	20. Union of Light and Darkness

Union of Light and Darkness

**Union of Light and Darkness**

By Matthew W. Quinn

February 2nd, 1977 AD

4 PM

Severus Snape sat on the rock by the lake, looking out over the still waters.

_It's all over the school now_, he thought with a small smile. _Lily Evans and James Potter, the golden girl and boy of Gryffindor, are no longer together._

His smile spread a little farther. _Rumor has it that Lily Evans has left James Potter for one Severus Snape, one of the few Slytherin who has openly defied the Death Eaters and lived to tell the tale._

Snape's smile faded. _Why the hell are you describing the situation like it's a celebrity breakup in a Muggle tabloid? You're the Half-Blood Prince. You have more class than that._

In any event, if Lily was leaving _Potter_ for him, she'd have said something about it. Instead, he hadn't seen much of her at all over the last few days. It was almost as if she were avoiding him. _That's a bad sign._

He decided that for once, he would focus on what he did have rather than what he didn't. _Sarah's talking to you, _he thought_, and Ian's friendly again._ Perhaps the Marauders had attacked him because they thought the Head Boy wouldn't come down on them because he was angry at Snape's perceived behavior towards his sister. His smile returned to his face. _Having a powerful friend is always a plus._

Of course, the fact that Sarah was talking to him again didn't mean she was willing to spend time snuggling in deserted classrooms or dreaming up new spells. _I think our relationship is over_, he thought, _although neither of us has explicitly said that._

He slid off the rock and picked up a small stone. He hurled it at the lake and it sank like, well, a stone. _You were never very good at skipping rocks._

He picked up another stone and threw it, lighter this time. It skipped twice before disappearing into the dark waters. _Hopefully I'm not bothering the squid._ The creature never came to this part of the lake for some reason — perhaps the water got too shallow farther out. Snape considered buying some gillyweed to go exploring underwater and find out just _why_, but didn't want to spend money or annoy the merpeople who were rumored to dislike students.

He reached down to pick up another stone and was about to throw it when another stone suddenly skipped out across the water. It skipped five times before disappearing. Snape's eyes leaped to the source of the new stone and his heart skipped a beat.

_Lily!_

"Hey Sev," she said. "What's up?"

"Not much. Just sitting out here…"

"Brooding by yourself?"

_That wasn't very polite._ Still, it _was_ true. "Yeah. And skipping rocks." _Although as you can no doubt tell, I'm not very good._ He paused for a moment. "Haven't seen you in awhile. How've you been?"

Lily inhaled. "Well, as you're probably aware, James and I broke up."

Snape raised an eyebrow. Of course he knew about it, but he was wondering why Lily brought the matter up. A small flame of hope flickered in his heart, but he tried to douse it. _If you don't hope, you can't be disappointed._

"Oh my. Whatever for?"

Lily sighed. "He won't give up roaming around with Remus in animal-form. He insists it's for Remus's own good and that I'm being unfair, making him choose between him and his friend." She scowled. "He also admitted that it was him who attacked you under the cloak, him and Sirius. They were angry you told me about Remus."

Snape forced the image of Lupin's face and teeth extending, bloodthirsty madness replacing humanity in his eyes, from his mind. "The git," Snape hissed. "I only told you, and you're too nice to expose Lupin."

Lily sat down next to Snape. "How are you and Sarah doing?" she asked.

Snape sighed. "A bit better. She's willing to talk to me again, but she's not very friendly."

Lily nodded. "I finally got her to talk to me. I explained just what had happened and I think I got through to her."

Snape allowed himself a small smile. "Thanks." He paused for a moment. "She's talking to me, but it's awkward and I can tell she'd rather not. I think our relationship's over."

He frowned. It hadn't been the deepest relationship in the world, but it was his first, and it was fun while it lasted.

"Don't worry, Sev," Lily said. "She's young and still a bit immature. She just turned 16, while you're 17 now."

Then Lily leaned a bit closer. Snape felt his heard beginning to beat faster. _Is something going on?_

"I've done some thinking lately," she said. She slipped her hands around his neck in a distinctly more-than-friendly manner.

_Holy Mary, _he thought_. Is this what I think it is…?_ He tried to restrain himself from hoping, knowing how often he had been disappointed before, but there was no logical way this could be anything else. His heart pounded faster and faster.

"You've always been a good friend." She smiled. "Let's see if you can be a good boyfriend."

He felt a goofy grin spreading across his face. He tried restraining himself from smiling. _Yes! Yes! Yes!_ He'd waited for this for a long time, but suddenly found himself wondering what to do. Should he lean forward and kiss her, or would that make her uncomfortable? He brought a trembling hand up towards Lily's chin, half-planning to draw her forward into a kiss…

"Hooray!" Snape nearly jumped out of his skin at the unfamiliar voice. _Have Potter and his gang decided to interrupt?_ His eyes leaped to the right and crawled up the cliff that overlooked his and Lily's little haven.

Several younger students — third and fourth years by the look of them — stood on the cliff above, cheering. They looked to be a mix of all four Houses — Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs, a few of the younger Slytherin who hadn't had their heads filled with pureblood nonsense yet, and even a pair of the lion-cubs from Gryffindor who obviously hadn't been brainwashed to hate Slytherin.

Lily giggled. "They must've followed me. As you no doubt know, people have been talking…"

Snape turned bright red. "Why you little…!" he shouted. Outrage filled his chest and he felt an overwhelming desire to smack the younger students around. _Teach them to invade other people's privacy, the little wankers._

He drew his wand, intent on Stunning the lot of them, but he felt Lily's restraining hand at his wrist.

"C'mon, Sev. Let them be silly," she said with a smile.

"Al…all right," he said. He felt himself smiling in spite of himself. _Let them be silly._ _This is a happy day, the day you've waited for for the last decade. Don't let a bunch of silly little gits spoil it._

He slipped his arms around her and pulled her close.

"You're right. Let them be silly."


	21. Blackmail

Blackmail

**Blackmail**

By Matthew W. Quinn

February 8th, 1977 AD

12 PM

"You're dating Snivellus," James Potter said, leaning forward to face his former girlfriend across the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall.

"You don't need to repeat yourself, James," Lily said nonchalantly as she buttered her roll.

"But…but," Potter said. "It's not even been a _week!_"

"Yeah," Black agreed. "That's just not cricket. At least you could have waited a month or so."

Lily scowled at Black. "Did I ask you your opinion?"

Black shrugged. "Nope. But I give it out free of charge." He reached over and grabbed a roll from the basket in the center of the table, tossed it up in the air, and caught it in his mouth.

Lily rolled her eyes. _I can tell._

Potter scowled. "I'm told he's good at Potions. Did he feed you Amortentia, or simply sneak up on you and hit you with a strong Confundus spell?"

"I'm pretty sure he hasn't, James."

"That's good," Peter Pettigrew said rather stupidly.

Potter rolled his eyes. "Thanks, Wormtail," he said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"I'm pretty good with Potions," Pettigrew protested, "And I don't think that she's been fed anything. For starters, she's not talking about him every other word and…"

Black smacked Pettigrew on the shoulder. "I think that was called a 'rhetorical question,'" he said. Pettigrew scowled and fell silent.

"Tell me, James," Lily said. "You obviously object to my choice of a boyfriend. _Why_ is dating Sev such a bad idea?"

"Well, there are several reasons," Potter began. "For starters, I'm sure you've seen where he actually _lives_. The place is a bloody dump in the middle of a bloody slum." His voice dropped an octave. "People who date at our age very often get married and do you really want to live _there_ for the rest of your life?"

Lily scowled. "The house itself isn't that bad — it's just poorly maintained because Sev's father is a drunk and…"

"And that brings up another issue, Lily," Potter interrupted. "You told me some stuff about his home life. His main example of how a marriage should work is his loutish father bullying his mother! How long do you think it'll be before he starts bullying _you_?"

Lily barely restrained her jaw from dropping. "James! That's totally unfair! Just because Sev's dad is a…"

"That may be, but life's often like that. I've got a cousin who married a girl whose parents were always arguing and she acts just like her mum, who was rather bloody unstable. My poor cousin's miserable and…"

"James, even if Sev tried to treat me poorly, do you think I'd _let_ him?"

Potters shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not. You've obviously been friends with him for a long time, even though I can recall him saying that 'you'd _better_ be in Slytherin,' which seems a bit pushy and unhealthy to me. Perhaps you'd put up with more than you ought, just because you feel sorry for him…"

"I _don't_ feel sorry for him," Lily insisted. "I've tried befriending people who don't have any other friends, but I wouldn't _date_ them!" She frowned. "And James, you don't exactly have a good record as far as _bullying_ is concerned."

James matched her scowl for scowl. "There's a difference between _bullying_ one's _wife_ and fighting an enemy..."

Lily raised an eyebrow. "Fighting? You call ambushing someone four-on-one _fighting_?"

"It is when they can do something like _this_," he retorted, touching the scar that ran along his jaw with his finger. Lily involuntarily flinched. She knew what spell Snape had used on Potter and she knew just what it could do when unrestrained.

"Snape is a _Slytherin_ and until last year, he was definitely going Dark," Potter continued. "Padfoot here thinks that's not going to happen, but I still have my doubts." He touched his jaw. "I mean, look at what he did!"

"When you attacked him," Lily said. Potter scowled.

"True," he admitted, "But that spell he used, it's Dark Magic. He might have burned his bridges with the Death Eaters, but he could still be a solitary practitioner. You don't want to come home one day and find Snape lining up all the children in the neighborhood and teaching them to brew deadly poisons, do you?"

"You're assuming we're getting married tomorrow, James," she said. "That'd be a little rash."

"I would think so," Lupin said. He took a breath before speaking. "Lily, this whole thing seems a little quick. You started dating Snape very soon after you broke up with James. Might it have been wiser to wait a few weeks, get used to being single again and…."

Lily raised an eyebrow. "You're jumping in too, Remus?"

Lupin shrugged. "Just looking out for a friend."

_Which friend, though? James or me?_ Lily suppressed a frown. She could always attribute James' opinion to the fact that he was the most anti-Sev of the bunch and he was irritated Lily was dating his enemy instead of him, but Lupin had always looked out for his friends. _Even when that made him a poor prefect._

"Look, Remus, we're going to take it slow, all right?" She certainly felt affection for Sev, and recognized that he had all traits she found attractive in James, but did she feel for the Slytherin boy in the same way she once felt for James? She wasn't entirely sure. _Best to take it slow._

Lupin shrugged. "So long as you know what you're doing."

"Thanks for the backup, Moony," Potter said sarcastically. He turned his attention back to Lily.

"How about this? You remember how after we fought he damn near killed himself? It was that poor Ravenclaw girl who saved him and he damn near got her killed too! Nearly killing himself over something as small as you running to me when I was bleeding nearly to death isn't healthy, Lily."

_True._ She understood how badly it must have hurt him to see the girl he'd loved since they were both nine embracing his enemy, but that really was not a healthy reaction. _We might need to talk about that._

"If that's Snape's reaction to one failure," Pettigrew said. "Think about how he might react to others. That's weak, Lily, weak, and you deserve someone spiritually and emotionally stronger than him."

"Yeah," Potter said. "Wouldn't you prefer someone strong, both physically and mentally?" He flexed his muscles subtly and Lily barely suppressed an urge to laugh at his posturing. Still, the conversation was getting old and she decided to put a stop to it.

"Enough is enough, _Potter_," Lily said. The use of his last name, the way she used it back when they were still unfriendly, was quick enough to shut him up. "Sev and I are together, all right? I don't care if you date Mary or Evelyn or even the giant squid and I'd like the same courtesy."

She looked at Potter. "Can I trust you not to try any of your 'pranks'?" she asked. "You and I were still together when you and Sirius shoved Sev down the stairs and pelted him with rotten fruit."

Potter did not answer immediately. He swallowed and although Lily saw his lips move, he didn't say anything.

"Well then," Lily said, irritation plain in her voice. "How about this? If anything should happen to Sev, or for that matter, _anyone out during the full moon_, Dumbledore will be hearing about it from me."

Potter's jaw dropped. Black was less affected, but his eyes widened. _They don't expect sweet little Lily to show her claws, do they?_

"Lily, Lily, please," Lupin said. He looked at her and Lily felt pity for the werewolf. "If that happens, all of us will be expelled and…"

"Hey," Black said. "Tell your precious Snivellus that I was able to restrain James from attacking him on several occasions and that I don't think he's going to go Dark. We only tossed him down the stairs because he was talking about Moony!"

Black scowled. "And that's just not very nice. Blackmailing a member of your own _House_, on behalf of a Slytherin! And just a month ago, you were quite a happy…"

Potter raised his hand, silencing Black. "I…I'll go along with this," Potter grated. "For Moony's sake." He swallowed. "However, if Snape should ever start treating you poorly or, God forbid, _hurting_ you, just tell me and…" He pulled his finger across his throat.

_Wow_. She figured James would say something like, 'Don't come crying to me.' _That's really nice of him._

"In the unlikely event that happens, I'll be sure to," she said.

She rose from her seat. "Now I've got class right now. Have a good afternoon, James."

"Thanks. You too."

February 8th, 1977 AD

12:10 PM

Potter watched Lily's retreating back.

"Well, that certainly didn't work," Black said.

"I know," Potter said.

"Well, what to do now?" Pettigrew asked. "Do you think she'll really squeal on us? I mean, I don't think she'd want Moony turned out in the…"

"No, Wormtail, we're not going to bother Snivellus." He smiled as an idea came to him. "I've got a different plan."

"And what might that be?" Lupin asked.

"She said she and the greasy git are taking their relationship slowly," Potter replied with a grin. "Means it's probably rather fragile. And she's been with him less than a week, while she was with me for several months."

Lupin sighed. "What's the point?"

Potter's smile grew wider. "I'll make her jealous, that's what I'll do. Who's single in Gryffindor these days?"


	22. Dreams Sometimes DO Come True

Dreams Sometimes DO Come True

**Dreams Sometimes DO Come True**

By Matthew W. Quinn

**Author's Note:** Thanks to Celadonserpent for some ideas re: romantic things Snape can do.

February 14th, 1977 AD

4:50 PM

Severus Snape and Lily Evans made their way down the corridor, the last of their classes over.

"So," Snape said, "How are they receiving the news in Gryffindor?" He'd expected the screaming from Gryffindor Tower to shake the castle to its foundations when they found out that their Golden Girl was dating a _Slytherin_, even one who was most assuredly not going to run off to serve the Dark Lord five minutes after the graduation ceremony was over. However, he'd heard relatively little since then, and that worried him.

_If nobody's talking, it means they're plotting._ A good Slytherin motto, one that turned out to be true more often than not.

"Well, Mary doesn't mind," Lily said. "Evelyn and Kelly are rather shocked — dare I say it, Kelly's _horrified_. Of course, their reaction is going to pale in comparison to the fit Tuney is going to throw when the family finds out."

Snape stopped himself from rolling his eyes. _Oh gag me with a basilisk fang. Petunia Evans._ She'd sneered at him about living on Spinner's End, she'd sneered at him about his clothes, and most damningly, she'd sneered at him about _Potter_.

_That reminds me._ "How's Potter taking it?"

"Well, I think he's trying to make me jealous. He and Evelyn have scheduled the Astronomy Tower for a 'private study session' Friday night." She stifled a giggle. "I don't think they'll be studying much."

_If Potter's off wooing someone else, he's less likely to try to steal Lily back. That's good._ "Hopefully the two of them aren't generating new Severus-abuse spells," Snape said. _That's always a possibility when he's involved._

Lily smiled. "I don't think you need to worry about further trouble from Potter and his gang though," she said.

Snape raised an eyebrow. "Why is that?"

So Lily told him about how she blackmailed Potter into agreeing to keep his spells to himself. By the time she finished, Snape had an unaccustomedly-large smile on his face.

"How delightfully Slytherin of you," Snape said.

Lily poked him between the eyes with a forefinger in affectionate way. "Silly boy. Slytherin don't have a monopoly on brains, you know, just as we don't have a monopoly on bravery."

_True._

"How're the people in your House taking it?" she continued.

Snape swallowed. _How do I explain this?_ Some of the younger Slytherin were among those who followed Lily to their secret cove and some older ones had privately come to him and congratulated him for having the balls needed to overcome the centuries of blood prejudice that had accumulated in his House, but some of the others weren't nearly so nice.

_Regulus Black, Evan Rosier, and Robert Wilkes. Going to have to keep an eye on those three._ He knew Rosier and Black were aspiring Death Eaters and Wilkes would likely follow them into it.

"Some of them are taking it well," he said. "And some of them are not." _Please, please, please don't ask any more questions._ He didn't want to go into a lot of detail about the snake-pit he expected the common room to become for the next few weeks.

Lily cocked her head. "Something's bothering you, isn't it?"

Snape nearly answered in the negative, but repressed his "No." _She's your girlfriend now_, he told himself. _And you need to be honest with her._

He looked up and down the corridor. _Nobody there._ Still, it was best to take precautions.

"I'll tell you in there," he said, gesturing to an empty classroom. The two of them slipped inside and shut the door behind them. Snape opened his mouth to speak, then turned around and placed a silencing ward on the door. _Nobody will be able to listen in._

"When I referred to members of my House who aren't supportive, I'm not talking about people who simply think I can do better," he whispered. "I'm talking about people who view you as an insect worthy of being stepped on."

"Death Eaters," Lily said.

"Not yet," Snape said. "But I figure they will be, once seventh year is through. I think the worst of the lot is Rosier, but Black — Regulus, the younger one — and Robert Wilkes are likely to be trouble too. I'll try to make it abundantly clear they're not to misbehave, but were I you, Lily, I'd keep an eye out."

She nodded. "That's good to know…"

Then Lily started coughing. Once, twice, then three times in succession. Snape could hear a distinctly liquid sound to it and immediately suspected illness. _It is cold and flu season, after all._

Snape cocked his head. "You all right?"

"I've got a cold coming on," she said. "Best not get too close — you might catch it."

"Oh, don't worry about me," Snape said. "I've got an immune system of steel."

Lily smiled, but coughed some more. Snape cocked his head. "When did this start?"

"Two or three days ago," she said. "I figure the next couple of weeks aren't going to be fun, particularly since McGonagall is riding us hard in Transfigurations."

Snape scrunched his face in thought. "If you're sick, you ought to go back to Gryffindor Tower and rest."

Lily smiled. "Sev, that's really not necessary. I'm fine."

Snape shrugged. "Suit yourself."

The business of telling secrets done, the two of them retreated back to the corridor. Snape made the excuse that he needed to study, but instead slipped off towards one of the Potions classrooms where he kept a private stash. He knew just what to do.

February 14th, 1977 AD

6:30 PM

"Give this to Lily," Snape said, handing Evelyn Daniels the bottle he'd wrapped in an old copy of _The Daily Prophet_ and tied with a piece of string. "Tell her it's for Valentine's Day." _Hopefully Lily won't try it out before dinner. Things might get rather interesting._

"Will do," Evelyn said politely. She stepped back behind the Fat Lady, then stopped in mid-stride.

Snape knew she wanted to say something. _Might as well get it over with._ "Yes?"

"I…is this Amortentia?"

Snape rolled his eyes. "You and Potter both, I see." _Damn and blast, can they not see that there are reasons Lily is going out with me that aren't chemically-induced?_

"No!" Evelyn protested. "J…just curious."

"Very well." He paused, then swallowed. "If I tell you what it is, will you promise not to tell Lily? I want it to be a surprise."

"All right," she said. "What is it?"

"Pepper-Up Potion. She's got a cold coming on. Best nip those early, when they're still relatively easy to deal with."

He watched the Gryffindor girl's eyes widen. "Wow," she said. "That's really nice of you."

_Am I not capable of being nice when I put my mind to it?_ Still, it was best to be polite and hope that he'd expanded his web of alliances further. _Given the hell I'm going to catch from the Death Eater wannabes, I'll need it._

"Thanks."

"You're welcome."

Evelyn disappeared behind the Fat Lady. Snape set off towards the Slytherin dormitories, a spring in his step.

February 14th, 1977 AD

6:37 PM

Things got markedly worse when Snape entered the Slytherin common room.

"Finished playing servant to the Mudblood?" Rosier asked with a sneer. The other boy emerged from the corner to the left of the door and sidled towards Snape, looking menacing. Some of the other Slytherin watched from the sofas and Snape suspected Rosier wanted this challenge to be as public as possible.

"Good evening, Evan," Snape said, keeping his dislike for the other boy under control. He remembered how he tried to menace Snape after the duel with Mulciber and later called Lily a "social-climbing scullery wench." _I don't forgive easily_, Snape mused, _and I'll have even more trouble forgiving_ you.

"Blood traitor," Rosier spat. "And to think you came from such a good family, on your Mum's side at least." The ugly look on his face grew progressively worse. "They'd be spinning in their graves to see the possibility of their blood mingling with that of a _Mudblood_."

_All right, enough's enough._ Snape leaned forward, dark eyes locked on Rosier's blue ones. "You ever killed someone, Evan?" he asked.

Evan tried to look tough. "Plenty of times. The Dark Lord, he sends me out on missions when I'm not at Hogwarts. I think I've killed 100 Muggles now."

Snape snorted. "You're talking out of your arse." Before the fight with Mulciber, Malfoy had told him the Dark Lord only Marked students under the most extenuating circumstances. Rosier was talented and dangerous, but he didn't think it likely that the Dark Lord had already accepted him.

"I, on the other hand, am not," he continued. The images of the elder Mulciber collapsing amid his mother's tomato plants rushed forward and even after all this time, his stomach began to twist. _Will to power_, Snape thought, forcing his stomach back into line.

He kept his eyes locked on Rosier. The other Slytherin kept his face placid, but his eyes betrayed a hint of weakness. _It's a pity I'm not a Legilimens. I could see just how weak the little git is. _That gave him an idea. _Perhaps I'll try to learn Legilimency next year, when I learn Occlumency._

"Blood traitor." Rosier's words pulled Snape back to the present.

Snape raised an eyebrow. _The git's changing the subject. This is good._

The other boy continued. "You threw away an excellent career in the service of the Dark Lord, and for what? For some Muggle-born slut who's probably just using you to make Potter jealous. You're a marked man, Severus Snape, and I don't mean that in a good way. The Dark Lord will find you wherever it is you're lurking outside of school one day and he'll tear you apart."

Snape stepped forward, eyes locked on Rosier. "Trying to scare me by making threats that someone else will carry out?" He took another step forward and he watched the other Slytherin shift uneasily. "You're acting like an insulting stereotype of a Slytherin, something a _Gryffindor_ would think up."

A plan began forming in Snape's mind. He was blooded, the victor in four battles, two of which were to the death. He imagined Rosier had engaged in plenty of the usual little duels took place in Slytherin as a means of determining status, but hadn't fought in a fight that could conceivably end in death. _Perhaps I'll provoke him._ _If he backs down, good, and if he fights, he'll probably lose. Either way, I win._

"Why don't you make a threat you can carry out?" Snape purred. "Like perhaps hexing me here, in front of the others? I'm a blood traitor, aren't I?" He smiled. "I dare you." When Rosier didn't immediately move, Snape said something he knew would piss the other Slytherin off.

"Coward."

Rosier took the bait. Quick as lightning, he drew his wand, but Snape had a trick up his sleeve that none of the others had likely ever seen.

_Accio Rosier's wand!_ The wand leaped out of the other Slytherin's hand, right into Snape's. He allowed himself to smile. _Nonverbal wandless magic? The others will think you're the best thing since the Dark Lord himself. They'll want you to teach them._

His smile grew. This could be useful indeed.

Rosier's jaw dropped. Out of the corner of his eye, Snape could see the other Slytherin following suite.

"I trust you'll be wanting this back?" Rosier did not immediately respond, so Snape tossed the wand to the other side of the common room. "Fetch."

Some of the Slytherin on the sofa chuckled. Rosier glared at them, but the chuckling continued. _He's lost status_, Snape thought, _and I've gained it_.

Red-faced, the other Slytherin rushed over to where Snape had tossed his wand. Rosier retrieved his wand and stormed up the stairs to his room, grumbling all the while about "blood treason" and "Mudblood lovers."

_He's definitely lost face._

Snape crossed the common room towards the stairs leading up to his own room. He wanted to get some studying done before he went to bed. _Plus I'll need to reinforce the wards on my bed. Rosier will want revenge, sooner or later._

As he passed by the sofa, a voice stopped him cold.

"Good job, Severus," Allen McIntosh, a Slytherin fifth year who wasn't among those who cheered when Lily and Snape officially became a couple but wasn't among those sneering "blood traitor" either, said. "He's been an insufferable git lately."

Snape turned and raised an eyebrow. _This is interesting._ "Thank you." Wheels were already turning in his brain. He thought he'd lost all his friendships within his own House when he dueled Mulciber, but perhaps he'd been wrong.

He saw that another Slytherin, this one a brown-eyed girl whose name escaped him at the moment, was nodding along with McIntosh.

_This is_ most _interesting_.


	23. Double Date

Double Date

**Double Date**

By Matthew W. Quinn

**Author's Note:** The notion of Slughorn embarrassing Snape and Lily in Potions class comes from one of the S/L discussions at Fiction Alley (FA), while the description of the House of Black came from the Andromeda/Ted discussions. I can't recall exactly who came up with them, but kudos to them.

March 20th, 1977

7:00 PM

It was the last Hogsmeade weekend before Easter break and Severus Snape and Lily Evans had joined John Anderson and Amanda Green in the Three Broomsticks for dinner.

"I didn't know you two were an item," Lily said.

Anderson shrugged. "It's very new. I'm not even sure most members of Ravenclaw are aware of it."

"Yeah," Amanda, a Ravenclaw blonde with extraordinarily blue eyes, said. "I think we made it official last week." She looked at Lily and Snape. "You two've been together for the last couple of months, right?"

"Thereabouts," Lily said. She looked at Snape. "What was the exact date?"

Snape allowed himself a small smile. _She's right. That's something you'd remember._ "February the second," he said. "In the afternoon."

"What you're doing is really inspirational," Amanda said. "A Slytherin, dating a Gryffindor — and a Muggle-born, no less. I think that in times like this, this is an excellent statement against…"

_Holy Mary, Mother of God, save me from detractors and admirers both_. He repressed an overwhelming desire to bury his face in his arms or hide behind his hair. Instead, he forced himself to at least not scowl.

If it wasn't Rosier, Wilkes, and Regulus Black sniggering and using racial slurs when they thought he couldn't hear them or the glares of the Marauders and their devotees stabbing him in the back, it was the other students — most of them the younger members of all four houses but disproportionately Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff — who thought a Gryffindor and a Slytherin dating was a wonderful declaration of House unity against the Dark insurrection sweeping wizarding Britain. All the better since Lily was Muggle-born and Snape himself had been on his way to becoming a Death Eater not all that long ago.

_If they start trying to make propaganda films about us, I'm going to scream._ The only more perfect scenario for those people would have been a repeat of the Black/Tonks episode from a few years back. _A pureblood Slytherin of the Most Noble, Most Ancient, and lately, the Most Dangerous House of Black eloping with a Muggle-born Hufflepuff?_ Snape restrained himself from rolling his eyes. _To hear Rosier and his gang talk, that was the most hideous act of blood treason since Dumbledore defeated Grindelwald._

Snape felt Lily's foot nudging his shin. "She's complimenting us, Sev," she whispered across the table.

"True," he responded, also at a whisper. "But it still bothers me a bit."

"Why?" Amanda asked.

Snape raised an eyebrow. _Eavesdropping much?_ He sighed. _How exactly do I explain that all this talking about Lily and me makes me uncomfortable? Can't we just be left alone like any other couple?_

Then he remembered an episode in Potions class a few days prior. _Perhaps that will help them understand._

March 17th, 1977

10:30 AM

Snape and Lily entered the Potions class and several students took it upon themselves to start talking about them. He stiffened as he heard the inevitable wave of gossip that typically accompanied the two of them.

"I still think he's feeding her Amortentia. Why on Earth would she go out with him otherwise? Potter may be an arrogant git, but she can do so much better than _Snape_…"

"Eww…every time I imagine them snogging, I throw up a little bit inside my mouth."

_That_ one annoyed Snape. For starters, Lily wasn't quite ready for snogging — yet — and secondly, he took umbrage at being viewed as something that would inspire nausea. He felt his hand dropping towards the pocket where he kept his wand. _Perhaps I'll wipe the smirks off their faces…_

"Sev," Lily said, catching his wrist in her hand. "Just ignore them."

"Very well," he said. Part of him thought starting a duel over chit-chat was excessive, but part of him found those people aggravating. He sighed, followed Lily to their accustomed spot in the front of the class, and hoped Professor Slughorn would show up soon. The pair of them busied themselves setting up their cauldrons and gathering the ingredients for the assigned potions.

Despite his attempts to block them out, Snape could hear the incessant chit-chat.

"I bet he threatened her parents. He was running around with Avery and Mulciber and once you're one of _those people_, you never really stop being one. Poisonous toadstools don't change their spots…"

_Slandering dunderhead._ Still, Lily wanted him to ignore them, so he did.

"Oh lay off. Just because you're jealous of Snape…"

"Oh? I think you're jealous of Lily. You've always gone for the bad boy type…"

That last exchange calmed his seething heart. _At least some people aren't sneering at you._ Plus the comments about being a "bad boy" _were_ amusing.

Then the door to the classroom slammed open and the broad, vivacious Horace Slughorn entered.

"Good morning, class," he began, mustache bristling. "What's the big topic of discussion right now?"

_Oh no. Please, please, _please_ don't get involved!_

"The romance of dear Ms. Evans and Mr. Snape?" he said, answering his own question with another question. "Well, I always figured it was inevitable. They're my two best students, after all. Love brews naturally in Potions class, I would think. It wasn't all that long ago that Andromeda Black and Ted Tonks were in my class and…"

Snape gave into temptation and buried his face in his arms on his desk. _Why oh why did he have to bring this up._ He could hear an undercurrent of laughter and although he recognized on an intellectual level they were laughing at Slughorn's comments, part of him felt they were laughing at _him_.

Someone snarled their disdain in the back of the room. _Probably Rosier._ He wasn't going to tolerate that. _If you want to be Alpha Slytherin, public losses of face are not permitted._

He turned towards the source of the sound and fixed it with his best glare. Evan Rosier glared back and Snape heard the laughter faltering. They'd all heard of the duel with Mulciber and many of them had seen the running battle with Avery and Mulciber. _If they want another Dark-on-Dark battle, they'll have it._

"Mr. Snape, why don't you put a smile on that long face?" Slughorn interrupted. "You ought to be happy."

_True._ Then he got a bright idea. _This'll cut Rosier down to size, without the use of a wand._ "Well, sir, I am," Snape said. "It seems, however, Mr. Rosier does not share my enthusiasm for the lovely Ms. Evans." Lily giggled beside him and he felt his dark mood beginning to evaporate.

Slughorn smiled beneath his mustache. "Well he ought not to worry," he said. "I'm sure Mr. Rosier will find a pretty, vivacious, cheeky intelligent Muggle-born girl soon enough."

Rosier turned purple with fury. Snape allowed himself to smile. The other students, who'd been on edge moments before, were laughing as loudly as before and Rosier looked like he'd burst a blood vessel if he got even more indignant.

Snape's smile grew broader when he felt Lily's arm draped around his shoulders. "I'm sure he'll find a nice Muggle-born girl soon enough," she said. "But not me. I'm taken."

The laughter continued rippling through the assembled students. Rosier looked like he was going to have a stroke if he didn't calm down.

"A point for Gryffindor," Slughorn said. "That was brilliant, Ms. Evans. Now, let's get to work."

March 20th, 1977

7:05 PM

Anderson barely stifled a guffaw, the result resembling something very much like a particularly loud snort. Amanda couldn't even restrain herself that much and was giggling quite openly, as was Lily. Snape simply turned beet-red.

_This isn't the effect I necessarily wanted_, Snape thought. "You know, I didn't think Slughorn getting involved was that amusing." _Embarrassing Rosier was fun, but the git's probably plotting his revenge now. It would have been better if this episode hadn't happened._

"C'mon, Severus," Anderson said. "You admit, that was pretty funny."

_If it were anyone but me being publicly discussed by the professor, I suppose it would be_. However, it _was_ him, and that bothered him.

However, he recognized intellectually that they meant well and he decided to shut down the dark side of him that said they were laughing at him. _John isn't Potter and Amanda isn't Kelly Andrews._ He repressed a smile. Potter was cutting a swath through the single young ladies of Gryffindor, probably trying to make Lily jealous, but it apparently wasn't working. _I hope._

He repressed that thought to. He knew where those thoughts led — acting like Father — and he wished to avoid _that_. _Time to change the subject._

"Very well," he said. "I suppose it…might…have been amusing. In retrospect of course."

Anderson slapped him on the back and Snape barely restrained himself from jumping. "That's the spirit, Severus," he said. "And after all, you and Sluggy put that wanker Rosier in his place."

_That's something I can get behind._

Then the waiter arrived with their food and Snape was grateful. _By the time we're done with our sandwiches_, he thought as he eyed the rather nice beef sandwich he'd ordered, _we'll have something else to talk about._


	24. All Is Not Well

All Is Not Well

**All Is Not Well**

By Matthew W. Quinn

June 25th, 1977

1 PM

As the Hogwarts Express rolled along through the Scottish countryside, Lily Evans and Severus Snape finished their lunch. They both leaned back, letting their sandwiches digest, and watched the hills roll by.

Time passed. "Excuse me," Lily said before disappearing from the compartment. Snape watched her leave, then turned back to watch the countryside.

More time passed. Snape looked at the compartment door. _She's certainly been gone awhile._

After awhile, Snape began to worry. _You're being silly_, he thought to himself, but his worries continued to gnaw at him. _Hopefully she hasn't gotten waylaid by_ Potter. He was considering sticking his head out when Lily returned to the compartment, looking paler than usual. Snape wasn't always the best at picking up on non-verbal cues, but he knew immediately something was wrong.

"Something bothering you?"

Lily gulped. "When I was in the bathroom, Aly Henderson was in there too." Snape reviewed his memory. _Hufflepuff, Half-Blood._ Her parents were journalists of some kind, working for one of the smaller wizarding papers in the West Country.

Lily was still talking and Snape forced himself to pay attention. "She was crying. Her family had been killed by Death Eaters."

_Uh oh._ There had been rumors about the recent killing of the parents of a student, but he paid them little mind — these days, there were plenty of such rumors, and they often weren't true.

"And the way they did it was simply horrid, Sev. The Aurors aren't entirely sure of what happened, but they think…they think they put her parents under Imperius and made them kill her younger brother and then one another. With spoons."

"And she just _told_ you this?" Snape said. "That's odd." Had something like that happened to his own parents, he would certainly be upset, but he wouldn't go _telling_ people about it. There were far too many people who'd laugh at him or make cruel remarks rather than show even a glimmer of compassion.

"She didn't want to talk at first, but when she did, it just _spilled_ out. I think she needed someone to talk to about it."

_Obviously everyone isn't as good as you are at holding things in._ Although he didn't really _need_ anyone to talk to, he figured not everyone was as self-sufficient.

But that raised another question. Why did the Aurors feel the need to tell the girl just _how_ her parents died?

Lily must've guessed what he was thinking. "There were rumors, Sev, rumors that their deaths had been far worse. The Aurors told her, but they didn't want her to…oh crap."

Snape forced himself to smile. "Don't worry. Her secret is safe with me."

"Good. The rumor mill is already bad enough." Lily closed her eyes, horror still evident on her features. Snape reached over and began stroking her arm with a long finger. Lily relaxed a bit at his touch.

As he comforted Lily, he felt a scowl forming on his face. _Is _that_ what you wanted to join?_ Back when he, Avery, and Mulciber had all dreamed about serving the Dark Lord, they knew that crimes would need to be committed — for the greater good of the wizarding community of course — but Snape had always imagined heroic guerrilla fighting against the Ministry and its minions. This — he swallowed — _this_ was something ugly and pointless.

Lily pulled away. "Thanks, Sev," she said. _Odd. She appreciated your touch, but then didn't. _He shrugged. They had all summer.

She drew a breath. "The Death Eaters are getting stronger and stronger. I'm glad you broke with them."

The image of the blood on the walls — the logical result of such a gruesome way of killing — filled Snape's mind. "Thanks, Lily. Me too."

Someone knocked on the door of their compartment.

"Who is it?" Snape asked. He enjoyed having the compartment to just Lily and himself and didn't want anyone intruding.

"Allen," a voice said. "And Anne. May we come in?"

_I'd really rather you not. _Then the wheels started turning within his head. _I'll have Lily essentially to myself all summer._ He thought back to the confrontation with Rosier in February. _Allen's an ally in Slytherin — he doesn't like that git Rosier anymore than I do and he doesn't really want to serve the Dark Lord._

Lily solved his problem for him. "Yes you may," she said. _Very well. I can spare a few hours._

Allen McIntosh and Anne Caryl — the brown-eyed fourth year who it turned out was McIntosh's girlfriend — slipped into the compartment. McIntosh then shut the compartment door behind him with what appeared to Snape to be indecent haste.

He raised an eyebrow. "Something bothering you?"

McIntosh nodded. "Yeah." His eyes drifted over to Lily and Snape restrained himself from leaning forward. _He's got a girlfriend, and a pureblood one at that. _McIntosh's prejudices might not reach the heights of bloodthirstiness that Rosier's did, but they were still there. _That means he's not going to hit on Lily._ He barely repressed a frown. _You're thinking like Father again._ Much as the notion of having Lily all to himself appealed to him, he knew where that mindset led.

"Can you keep a secret?" McIntosh asked. Snape wondered for a moment why McIntosh was asking Lily specifically. _Perhaps he assumes you can do it because you're a Slytherin and it's the Gryffindors he needs to worry about._

"Yeah, I can."

"You sure?"

Snape repressed a scowl. _Just because she's Muggle-born doesn't mean she's a fool._

Lily rolled her eyes. "Yes, Allen, I can."

McIntosh was quick to save face. "Good. Just making sure." He leaned forward. "Rosier's up to something. He's talking with Black, Wilkes, and a couple others. Arranging something for over the summer."

He swallowed. "I didn't like the sound of it." He touched his arm where the Dark Mark would have gone. Snape nodded. "So I decided best to avoid the entire situation."

Lily leaned forward. "You mean you didn't just tell him off?"

McIntosh's eyes widened in horror. "And make an open enemy? If you haven't noticed, I'm not as strong as Severus here. The others are afraid of him, they know he's a killer. If I openly tell them off, well…I've got Anne to think about, and our families. Best avoid the situation as long as we can."

"You know, you're going to have to make a choice sooner or later."

McIntosh hung his head for a moment. "I know. I was hoping to delay it a bit, maybe wait until Rosier's gone and…"

"And when Rosier's gone, I'll be gone too," Snape said, harshness trickling into his voice. "Who'll be your strong protector then? Black will still be around, you know." He saw McIntosh flinch. _What does not kill us makes us stronger._ Father had taught him that, one of the few good things the old lush did. _He'll need to learn to stand on his own, not be a follower like that idiot Pettigrew._

Anne scowled at Snape. "If that's the kind of reception we'll get from people who _should_ be our allies, why shouldn't we go take the Mark with the rest of them?"

_Uh oh. Time for damage control._ "Well, for starters you're too young." He gestured to McIntosh. "He's probably too young as well." _Malfoy said you couldn't take the Mark until you were older_, he thought, drifting back to the time before the duel with Mulciber. Shame began creeping into the back of his mind. _How you desperately wanted that then…_

Anne rose as if she was going to leave, but Lily's voice stopped her in her tracks.

"What Sev is trying to say is that you two can't put off the choice forever." She drew a breath. "It's best you make the choice when you've got allies." She tilted her head over to Snape. "In your own House and outside it."

Anne regarded Lily with an icy, regal stare. "A fair point," she said. She sat back down. McIntosh looked relieved. _Thanks, Lily._

"Well then," McIntosh began. "Obviously three of the four of us are Slytherin and we obviously don't want to serve You-Know-Who. Next year is our last year and the pressure from Rosier and company to join up is likely to be intense. What do we do?"

He looked to Lily. "This doesn't leave the compartment, right?"

Lily nodded.

Gears were turning within Snape's brain. _Time to think of a plan_. He cast a Silencing ward on the door, in case Rosier was nearby.

"All right," Snape began. "I've got an idea…"

Little did he know someone was watching, and it wasn't Rosier…

June 25th, 1977

1:20 PM

"Poor Lily," James Potter said, his hazel eyes locked on the compartment that Snape and Lily shared with the two younger Slytherin. "Trapped in that compartment with three of those snakes all the way back to London." _Hopefully she won't smell of serpent when she gets out. That would just be creepy._

"You know," Remus Lupin said, "Rumor has it that there're members of Slytherin who are opposed to the Death Eaters. The stand Snape has taken has emboldened at least a couple of them. Perhaps they can keep You-Know-Who's little groupies in their House under control."

"Much as Snape annoys me sometimes, I'll have to agree," Sirius Black said. "I obviously don't live at home and hear stuff from Reg anymore, but I do learn things. Apparently he stared down Rosier, chief of the Death Eater wannabes now that Avery and Mulciber are gone. Humiliated the little wanker."

"Well blimey," Potter said. "Snivellus has a cult now. What are they going to do next, start shaving their heads and wearing all orange?"

Black and Lupin just looked blankly at him. _I guess they've never heard of the Hare Krishnas._ "It's a Muggle religious thing," he explained. "I've seen them hanging around the airport back home." _That's a problem with the wizarding world these days. Most of us don't know much about Muggles. I only know what it is because I jog by there every day when I'm home._

Then he thought about the notion of Lily shaving her head and shivered. _Her hair looks so good on her._ If Snivellus persuaded her to shave her head, he wondered if he'd be able to hold to the agreement with Lily.

Still, part of him wondered if Snivellus's little cult could be a positive development. _He may oppose Voldemort for the wrong reasons_ — Potter's gaze again drifted to Lily before he forced it back towards his friends — _and be up to his eyeballs in the Dark Arts, but the more Slytherin he can woo away from You-Know-Who, the better._

Now that he had come of age, Dumbledore had inducted him into the Order of the Phoenix, and he expected to do something for them over the course of the summer. _If the greasy git can make our job easier, more power to him._


	25. Romping in the Fields

Romping in the Fields and Shopping for New Clothes

**Romping in the Fields and Shopping for Clothes**

By Matthew W. Quinn

**Author's Note:** This is one of my longer chapters. I figured since there's a natural flow between the events of the first day and the second, it made sense to combine them.

July 25th, 1977

11:30 AM

"A picnic, Sev? That's a wonderful idea," Lily Evans said. "I'll be right over."

"Thanks," Severus Snape said. "One thing first. Have you got a blanket?" Severus Snape asked. "I've been through the house and I can't find one."

"I'll bring one. Bye." She hung up the phone. Snape replaced the handset and smiled deviously. _This will be nice._

He went into the kitchen, got the basket out, and began gathering supplies from the refrigerator. _Some bread, some roast beef, some cheese, a couple of apples…_ As he assembled the pair of sandwiches, he noticed the refrigerator was looking a bit bare. _Time to go to Sainsbury's._ Manchester's tiny wizarding community — he, Mum, and Lily were the only ones until around 1974 or so — wasn't large enough to have its own grocery store. After visiting Lily and delivering the newspapers, he'd have to put on his least-unacceptable set of Muggle clothes and go shopping.

He decided to think about something more pleasant. He reached into a pocket and stashed the letter from Hogwarts in the picnic basket. _Lily will be pleased._ The contents of the letter would be quite a help for the plan that he, Lily, Allen, and Anne cooked up.

A few minutes later, the doorbell rang. Just to be on the safe side, Snape drew his wand and approached the door.

"Who is it?" he called out cautiously.

Someone laughed on the other side and Snape smiled. "Who do you think?"

He unlocked the front door and was rewarded by a hug that nearly knocked him over.

"Hey, Sev," she said.

"Hey, yourself," he said. "Ready to go out?"

She nodded.

He flicked his wand and the basket leaped over to them.

"You have your wand?" Given that the Death Eaters would likely be out for them both, it would be wise to take precautions.

Lily nodded. "Always do."

"Good."

The two of them made their way to an empty field just beyond the park where they had met so long ago. Snape kept an eye out as they walked — not only was he concerned about the Death Eaters, but their giant allies as well. The attacks on the urban centers further south and in Ireland had been turned back, but Wales and Scotland were still war zones and Manchester was north enough for him to worry.

The two of them sat down and Lily spread the blanket. As both of them ate their sandwiches, Snape decided to show off a little bit. He tossed an apple in the air and with some flicks of his wand, sliced it in quarters.

Lily giggled and Snape allowed himself to smile.

Once they'd finished their food, they lay down on the blanket and looked up at the sun as it crossed overhead. After a moment, Lily's hand crept over and entangled his.

"Sev," she said. "Do you remember when we were little and would spin around until we fell over?"

"Yeah." They hadn't done that in awhile, since at some point, they stopped being children and started being teenagers.

"Why don't we do that?"

_Okay._

Lily got up and Snape followed. She reached out and Snape took both her hands.

"Okay," she said. "One, two, three…spin!"

They started spinning around, faster and faster, until Snape felt his foot tangle in the blanket. He tried to keep his balance, tried and failed. Both of them tumbled over, ending up halfway wrapped in the blanket and scattering the remains of their lunch.

_Lovely_, Snape thought, picking an apple core out of his hair. _Just lovely_.

Lily just laughed. "That was fun, Sev. How about we do it again, perhaps a little farther away from the basket."

_That might be a better idea._ "Sure."

They spun and fell over three more times — their last spin involved Lily landing on top of Snape and not moving particularly quickly to get off, which Snape rather liked — before Snape remembered his surprise for Lily.

"Hey," he said. "I've got something you might want to see."

He reached over to the basket and pulled out a piece of parchment marked with the Hogwarts seal.

"Dear Mr. Snape," he read. "Due to unforeseen circumstance, Carl Driver will no longer be serving as Slytherin prefect. Although you were not a prefect during your fifth and sixth years, the Hogwarts administration has decided that due to your achievements as a student, you would make an ideal replacement."

"That's awesome!" Lily said. "Congrats!"

Snape reddened a bit. "You're welcome." _I wonder what happened to Carl?_ He suspected it wasn't something good — Driver was a wannabe Death Eater like Avery, Mulciber, Rosier, Black, and Wilkes, although he was more subtle about it. _Still, far be it from me to turn down the opportunity to benefit from a change in circumstances._

Lily smiled conspiratorially. "You're not the only one who's got a surprise," she said.

Snape raised an eyebrow. "I wait with bated breath."

Lily pulled her own piece of parchment marked with the Hogwarts seal from her pocket. "Three guesses, Sev."

"Hmm…you've just been selected Minister for Magic?"

Lily laughed, then rolled her eyes. "Please. I wouldn't have the patience for all that bureaucratic foolishness."

_Neither would I._ "Okay." He pursed his lips. "Head Girl?"

"Yes!" she half-shouted. She pulled him close and hugged him for a long while.

"Congratulations," he whispered into her hair.

They parted and Lily started gathering up their picnic supplies. Snape raised an eyebrow. _I didn't know our lunch was over._

"C'mon, Sev. Mum'll want to know all about you being made prefect."

She started heading back towards her house. Snape shrugged. _Might as well._

July 25th, 1977

1 PM

"Not only is Lily Head Girl, but you're a prefect too? This is wonderful news," Mrs. Evans said. "Congratulations to you, Severus."

"Thank you, Mrs. Evans," he said, turning a little red around the cheekbones.

"You know," she said. "Due to your new positions, it would be becoming for you both to have new clothes."

_She's at it again_, Snape thought. Ever since he and Lily had first become friends, Mrs. Evans had been concerned about his wardrobe. _Between Father's hand-me-downs and the dark clothes I prefer, no wonder a well-kept suburban housewife like herself worried._

However good her intentions, Snape didn't like his personal life interfered with. _If I wish to start dressing in more colorful clothes — green, another color of Slytherin, would be nice, and I imagine brown would be tolerable — I'll handle it myself._

"C'mon, Sev," Lily said. "It'll be fun. We can go down to Diagon Alley and make a day of it."

Snape raised an eyebrow. _Now that would be nice._ Spending a whole day with Lily, even if much of it revolved around something as banal as _clothing_, would certainly be enjoyable.

"Very well," Snape said. "But no guarantees I'll buy anything." If anything were to be bought for him, Snape decided, it was he would pay for it. _I'm no parasite._

July 26th, 1977

9 AM

Despite his reluctance, Snape arrived at the Evans' door the following morning.

_Part of my duties as boyfriend, I imagine._ One Hogsmeade weekend, Sarah had wanted to go wandering the town and looking at things she had no intention of buying. He'd have much rather found a nice sofa somewhere, snuggled, and discussed spellcasting, but the expedition wasn't _that_ bad, so he didn't complain.

A few minutes later, Lily and her mother emerged from the Evans' front door. Petunia followed after them, but when she saw Snape there, she quickly retreated.

_Good._ It would be taxing to his sanity to spend more than a few minutes with Petunia at any given time.

"Tuney…" Lily began. Then here voice trailed off and her face fell. Snape closed his eyes. Much as he disliked Petunia, he imagined he could tolerate her if her being around made Lily happy.

"Was she coming?" he asked.

Lily shook her head. "I asked, but she wasn't interested. I don't think she's quite used to the idea of us being a couple."

Lily shifted her jaw downward to make her face seem longer and started mimicking her sister's shriller voice. "'_Lily_,'" she said, voice loaded with the exasperation an older sister would feel at the antics of a younger one. "'I can't believe you're with _him_ now! That. Horrible. Boy!'"

Snape almost burst out laughing at Lily's impersonation. Lily continued.

"I think she'd much rather spend half the day on the phone with _Vernon_." Lily rolled her eyes.

_I imagine disapproval of boyfriends is an Evans family trait._

"Now, now, let's not make fun of your sister," Mrs. Evans said. "We've got a fun day of shopping ahead of us." She paused. "How exactly are we going to get there?"

_Well, we could always drive or take the train._ Of course, it would take several hours to get to Diagon Alley and several hours to get back and he did have to deliver the newspaper that afternoon. _Banal as it may be, I_ do _have to eat and bathe, and that requires money._

"Sev, is your house hooked up to the Floo network? We could go that way."

"No, it isn't." _Thanks, Father._ He remembered when he was a child, the fireplace _was_ connected to the Floo network. Father thought the notion of traveling via fireplace to be rather interesting — until he realized this meant strange witches and wizards coming into the house at any time. He'd badgered Eileen into removing the connection and in the months after his parents had gone into hiding, Snape had never bothered reconnecting it. _Not that this was an entirely bad thing._ A Death Eater might use the Floo network to get into his house, bypassing the wards entirely.

Lily scrunched up her face. "Okay then. How about we Apparate?"

Snape's eyes widened. _Apparate? Across Britain? With a Muggle?_ This was a disaster waiting to happen.

"Lily," Snape began. "Are you sure this is a good idea? I'll talk with my boss, see if someone else can cover the route, and…"

"C'mon, Sev. If we Apparate, we can go down there, shop, have lunch, and be back here on time for you to deliver your afternoon papers."

"But have either of us Apparated that far? Lily, that's hundreds of miles, and one of us will have to bring your Mum along. It'd be dangerous."

"I don't think it's that risky. I Apparated to visit Mary in Birmingham a couple of weeks ago."

Snape raised an eyebrow. _She mentioned visiting Mary but she didn't say anything about Apparating._

"Well, it's good that you were able to Apparate that far without problems, but with another person?" _Particularly a Muggle._ Snape couldn't think of a rational reason why taking a Muggle on Side-along could be a problem, but he still didn't think it was a good idea.

Mrs. Evans then stepped in. "I think we should go with Lily's idea."

_So that's where Lily gets that Gryffindorish recklessness from._ "Okay. Be careful."

He drew a breath. _Destination. Determination. Deliberation. Destination. Determination. Deliberation._ He'd Apparated throughout Spinner's End and even Manchester a bit, careful to stay out of sight of Muggles, but crossing the entire island of Britain was something different. _Dreadfully imprudent._

On the other hand, they didn't have all day.

Snape exhaled, then drew a breath. _The entryway into Diagon Alley, behind the pub._ He concentrated. _The entryway into Diagon Alley, just behind the pub._

With that, Severus Snape Disapparated.

July 26th, 1977

9:03 AM

Snape stood just inside Diagon Alley and waited.

_Where are they?_

He'd arrived pretty much intact seconds after Disapparating and waited. A minute passed, then two. He figured it might take a bit for Lily to get started, since she was doing Side-along, but it had been three minutes now.

_I hope there's not a trail of pieces of Lily and her Mum scattered across the entire country._ The Accidental Magic Reversal Squad would throw a fit, particularly since a Muggle was involved.

Lily and her mother arrived with a crack a few yards away. He quickly rushed over.

"Where were you?" he asked. "I was worried."

"Well, I'd never Apparated this far before, and never with another person," Lily said. "So we made an intermediate stop."

_Uh oh._ The more stops, the more likely Muggles would see. And if they couldn't be quickly Obliviated, the more likely the wizards' secret existence would become known. _And that could lead to the death of us all._

"Where at? Hopefully where no Muggles could see you." He remembered one time he was visiting her family for dinner and how, to deal with cleaning up the dishes, she transfigured the tableware into mice and sent them rushing into the sink before changing them back, much to the horror of Petunia and one of her friends who just happened to be coming in. _That_ had merited an angry letter from the Ministry, and the friend and her parents (who she told) had to be Obliviated.

"We stopped in the Forest of Dean." Lily looked at Snape and her eyes registered that she recognized his concern. "Don't worry, Sev. No witnesses."

"Someone could have been camping there," Snape protested. "It'd be a little awkward if you two materialized in someone's tent."

Lily rolled her eyes. "Sev, you worry too much. We both got here safe and sound and all's well that ends well."

_True_. "Very well," he said.

That conversation ended, they made their way deeper into Diagon Alley. Mrs. Evans exchanged her Muggle money for wizarding gold and they set off towards the part of the district where the clothing-shops were. As they walked, Snape noted how subdued the crowds seemed in comparison to when he was last here and how there were tough-looking Aurors and members of Magical Law Enforcement standing on many of street corners.

_Something's going on._ His mother's subscription to the Daily Prophet had been transferred to his parents' hiding place and he hadn't yet gotten a subscription on his own. He made a note to snag a copy after the shopping expedition was over.

"Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions," Mrs. Evans said as she took in the famed clothier. "I haven't been back here since we first brought Lily."

_And wasn't that a real treat._ Snape had been brought along for that one and Mrs. Evans had spent quite awhile looking for just the right robes for Lily to wear for her first year to Hogwarts. He and Mr. Evans had slunk out about halfway through the ordeal to go get ice cream.

They entered the clothier and surprisingly, got the academic robes dealt with surprisingly quickly.

It was only when Mrs. Evans decided that they ought to have some new non-academic clothes that things got complicated.

"I think some clothes in this year's style would suit you, Lily," Mrs. Evans began.

"Mum, you don't need to worry," Lily said. "Nobody in Hogwarts or in the wizarding community really cares what's current this year."

_Darn right._ Snape had compared the popular clothes in the wizarding world with those in the Muggle world and concluded that wizard fashions tended to be at least a century behind Muggle ones, sometimes more.

"That may be, but there's still no reason to be out of date," she said. She spotted something she thought looked nice on a nearby rack and dragged Lily over to it.

Time passed. Having secured three new outfits for Lily, Mrs. Evans turned her attention to Snape. "Now your turn, Severus."

_I'm sorry_, Lily mouthed to Severus.

_Thanks_, he mouthed back.

Mrs. Evans disappeared into the male section of the store and returned with a brown pair of slacks, a white dress shirt, and a long dark brown coat.

"I think this would look good for formal occasions," she said, "When you don't need to wear your robes."

Snape gestured to his own clothing. "I like what I've got now." It was getting a little frayed along the edges, but he figured he could replace them after graduation, when he'd gotten a job and could be freer with money.

"Do you always have to wear black, Severus?" Mrs. Evans asked. "It makes you look pale. I think these browns are more cheerful and they go well with your eyes."

"All right," Snape said. _Maybe this will satisfy her._ "I'll take a look at it."

He took the clothes and disappeared into the dressing room. He put them on and then examined himself in the mirror.

_You know, this isn't half-bad. Perhaps I'll come back here later and get another outfit like it._ He wouldn't do it right now, though — it would not do to encourage Mrs. Evans.

Snape came out again. "You know, I think I like these." A long pause. "Thanks."

Mrs. Evans smiled. "That's good. Now once we pay for these…"

Snape reddened. _I don't want to take charity from anyone._ He remembered being how ashamed he felt when the Squib priest and some of his parishioners had brought food over the year the mill Father had worked at since returning from fighting the Mau Mau had closed and he couldn't immediately find a new job. And he'd been a child then. He was of age now and he wasn't going to sponge off anyone, even his girlfriend's mother. _Especially_ his girlfriend's mother.

"D…don't worry, Mrs. Evans," he said. "I'll handle this."

"Oh, we don't mind, Severus. It'd be wise of you to save…"

"I can pay for this myself," he said flatly. "I still have most of the money from…last summer." Although fixing his teeth, the token payment to Potter for the damage he'd done to him, and paying for the upkeep of Spinner's End now that his parents were away had cost a lot of money, he still had 700 galleons left. Mulciber Sr. had committed many crimes in the service of the Dark Lord and the Ministry was glad to reward the one who'd finally gotten rid of him.

Mrs. Evans shrugged. "All right," she said. Snape moved to examine the price on the outfit when he was rudely interrupted.

Shouting and screaming erupted from outside the shop. Snape's wand was out in a moment, Lily's close behind.

"What the…" His eyes scanned the skies outside the window, but no Dark Mark was visible. _If the Death Eaters are here, they haven't killed anyone yet._ Outside, the panicking denizens of Diagon Alley rushed about screaming and a broom-mounted Auror floated overhead, wands out.

"Stay back here," Snape said. He crept forward and hoped the Death Eaters hadn't really come. _I hope it's not Avery and Mulciber, coming to settle old scores._ He wasn't sure how they'd manage to find him, but he suspected they were looking and knew that they knew he was from Manchester.

_Of course, they might not be after you specifically._ A Death Eater attack at Diagon Alley, the economic heart of wizarding London, would be a major psychological blow against the Ministry.

"I'm going with you," Lily declared, following along.

Snape rolled his eyes. _How wonderfully Gryffindorish._ "Very well." He continued towards the door, eyes locked on hubbub outside and ears pricked.

A dozen people burst through the door, shouting and screaming. Snape heard snatches of things like "a man in black" and "explosion." Outside, a river of people flowed past the doors, while more Aurors flew towards whatever was causing the panic.

Madam Malkin at least kept her head on her shoulders. She strode forward and with a flick of her wand, warded the doors and windows. Nobody was getting in anytime soon. A few people outside pounded on the door for a moment, but most of the people kept running.

"All right," she called out to the people who'd taken refuge in her shop. "Tell me what's going on?"

"Not sure," a dark haired wizard with an eye-patch said. "I was on my way back from the Apothecary when something exploded behind me. Someone said something about a bloke in black and everyone started screaming…"

"Yeah," a pretty blond-haired witch said. "I saw a man in dark robes and a rather funny expression walking away from the Apothecary just before the explosion…"

Some of the others who'd fled inside the shop began babbling. Madam Malkin scowled and fired a burst of energy from her wand into the air, silencing them.

"Did anyone actually _see_ You-Know-Who's sign?" Madam Malkin half-shouted. "Did anyone _see_ the Dark Mark?"

Snape peered around the large woman to scan the street outside. He didn't see the sign of the Dark Lord, not any green light that might indicate the Dark Mark had been cast nearby.

Suddenly, a man shouted above the fray. "False alarm," the magically-amplified voice of the Auror shouted. "False alarm. No Death Eaters. Potions mishap."

Snape exhaled in relief. _Good._ Of course, with the panic outside the store, there might still have been injuries. _At least we're safe in here._

"All right," Lily said. "That's done with. Now what? We've gotten some of the clothes we'll need."

Mrs. Evans looked a little shaken. "I think we've had enough excitement for the day," she said. "Maybe we should go home."

Snape was grateful to escape the shopping expedition. "Yes. Lets."


	26. The Order of the Phoenix

The Order of the Phoenix

**The Order of the Phoenix**

By Matthew W. Quinn

September 26th, 1977

7:30 PM

"You wished to see me, Headmaster?" Severus Snape asked.

Albus Dumbledore nodded. "Yes, Mr. Snape, I did." He gestured to a chair in front of his expansive desk and Snape sat. "Lemon drop?" A pair of candies rose from a small bowl in front of the elderly wizard.

"No, thank you," Snape said.

The candies returned to their dish.

"I would imagine you're wondering why I called you here tonight."

"Yes sir. I assumed it had to do with prefect business."

_He'd certainly be interested in how I'm holding up. _

Snape had returned to his last year at Hogwarts as senior male Slytherin Prefect, a job that proved to be much more difficult than he had anticipated…

September 6th, 1977

10:30 PM

Snape returned from deducting House Points from Regulus Black for picking a fight with a Gryffindor who criticized him for calling a Muggle-born Ravenclaw "Mudblood" to an even uglier situation in the common room.

McIntosh, Anne, and a couple of younger Slytherin Snape didn't recognize stood back-to-back in the midst of the common room. Rosier, Wilkes, and a couple of minions Rosier seemed to have picked up from the younger students circled them, murderous expressions in their eyes. All of Rosier's gang bore nasty cuts and Snape smiled.

_Showing Allen and Anne how to wield Sectumsempra was a good idea. That'll teach Rosier and his crew to mess with them._

"Bunch of blood traitors," Rosier snarled. "Mudblood lovers!"

"Evan Rosier," Snape hissed, wand already pointed at the bullying Slytherin. Wilkes and the two minions froze at the sound of Snape's voice. Rosier spun, his expression growing even more murderous. Snape repressed the urge to flinch. Rosier looked harder, more muscular than when Snape had last seen him, and Snape could feel the magical power radiating off the other Slytherin.

_He's been a busy little aspiring Death Eater over the summer._ Black had looked tougher too, although he backed down quickly when Snape had appeared.

The other Slytherin spat on the common room floor. "Come to protect your little disciples, Snape?"

"Looks like they were doing a good job of protecting themselves," Snape said, gaze jumping to the cuts on Rosier's face. "If you don't get those fixed, they'll never heal properly." _And far as I know, only Lily and I can perform the counter-curse properly._ The singing-healing charm was advertised as being able to heal even wounds produced by Dark Magic, but something was odd about Sectumsempra.

The two minions began to look a little sick and Snape decided to take advantage. "Both of you, sit down," he said, gesturing with his wand towards one of the sofas. "Once this is sorted out, I'll fix you up."

The two Slytherin obeyed.

"I won't be a pincushion for you and your friends much longer, you Mudblood-shagging imbecile," Rosier hissed.

_Shagging? I rather doubt that._ Lily was all for tickle-fights and cuddling, but she'd seemed a little uncomfortable when Snape had tried to kiss her on the forehead. _Perhaps she's still not used to me being her boyfriend and not just the little boy a few streets away who also knew magic._

"The Dark Lord is getting stronger," Rosier hissed, interrupting his ruminations. "Avery and Mulciber are competing for the right to destroy you, Severus Snape, but I'll be the one who gets that honor."

"Perhaps, perhaps not," Snape said. "There's no way of knowing."

"And when it's over," Rosier growled. "Perhaps that Mudblood Evans will be my, how did that blood traitor Slughorn put it, 'pretty, vivacious, cheeky intelligent Muggle-born girl.' At least for one night, after which she'll join you in the Abyss."

Snape saw red. _STUPEFY!_

The spell crashed into Rosier, sending him sprawling across the common-room floor despite his Shielding spell. The Charm held, leaving his enemy conscious, and Snape knew he had a full-blown duel on his hands.

Wilkes moved, but he left his back unguarded. His wand was up, the movement necessary for a non-verbal Incendio already halfway done, when McIntosh's Stunning spell slammed into the back of Wilkes' head and knocked him unconscious.

Rosier leaped to his feet. He stabbed with his wand, sending bursts of silvery lightning stabbing at Snape.

Snape deflected those, although the force of the attack knocked him a foot backwards. Rosier spun to attack McIntosh, but Anne was quicker and her Stunner knocked him out.

"Good job, you two," Snape told them. They smiled and helped drag the two fallen Slytherin to the sofa, pushing the humbled minions out of the way.

Snape quickly cast the healing charm, closing up all the Sectumsempra cuts. Then he took Rosier's and Wilkes' wands.

"Hide these somewhere," he told McIntosh. The younger Slytherin obeyed and Snape made sure the two minions weren't watching. Then he turned to the two younger Slytherin that McIntosh and Anne had been defending.

"Did Rosier attack you?" he asked them.

One of the younger Slytherin, a boy who looked like a second or third year, nodded. "Yeah. He said that my Gryffindor cousin who got killed during a giant attack was a blood traitor who deserved to die. I told him to sod off. He got kind of angry then and…"

"Twenty points for Slytherin," Snape said. McIntosh smiled. Snape looked back to Rosier and Wilkes. Much as he'd like to leave them unconscious for awhile, he didn't want to risk brain damage.

_Enervate_. Both of them came awake at once, grabbing for their wands and finding themselves disarmed.

"Fifty points from Slytherin," Snape said. "Much as it galls me to take points from my own House, you two have done enough to deserve it. Now both of you go to your rooms before I decide to make you my pincushions."

The other two Slytherin glared for a moment before stalking off.

September 26th, 1977

7:35 PM

"It's more difficult than I anticipated, sir. Rosier, Wilkes, and Regulus Black are proving more troublesome than they were last year. Rosier in particular."

"Rosier ought to be suspended, but I fear what he'll learn while he's away from school," Dumbledore said. "Here at least we can keep an eye on him." He sighed. "Horace told me about the incident in his class last year. He seems like the sort who holds grudges."

_Darn right._

"Now that this is done with," Dumbledore said. "I would like to offer you an opportunity."

Snape raised an eyebrow. "What sort of opportunity? I take it Marcus Clearwater is still Head Boy?"

Dumbledore smiled, although he kept his blue eyes locked on the younger man. "No, Mr. Snape, Mr. Clearwater is still Head Boy. This is a different opportunity. Have you given any thought as to what you'd do upon graduation?"

_Some._ He was skilled with Potions and there were plenty of such jobs available. Perhaps the Apothecary in Diagon Alley needed a new apprentice brewer, or he could find a more advanced position at a smaller firm. Unlike Potter or Black, he couldn't live off inherited wealth.

"I've given it some thought, sir. I would assume I would find a job." _And hopefully make enough money to marry Lily, while I'm at it._ He would be a far better provider for them than Father had been for his wife and son.

"You know, Mr. Snape, there is a war going on."

"Yes sir." _Of course I know there's a bloody war going on! I've bloody fought in it twice! I've killed a bloody Death Eater!_

"The war is not solely being fought by Aurors or members of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, although they're certainly shouldering much of the load. There are others fighting the Dark Lord, and I'm interested in you joining them."

_Aha._ "The Order of the Phoenix."

Dumbledore frowned. "Has someone been talking?"

"I didn't know the existence of the organization was supposed to be a secret, sir."

"It's not, although for security purposes, we don't want too much information getting out. The Order's strength is its secrecy — the Death Eaters know who the Aurors are, but they don't know for the most part who is a member of the Order of the Phoenix. All they know is that they have unknown enemies, many of them."

_Clever strategy._

"In any event, Mr. Snape, are you interested in joining?"

Snape swallowed.

_Should I?_ He'd made enemies of most of his Slytherin friends, offended his former mentor Lucius Malfoy, who stood at the side of the Dark Lord, and even killed a Death Eater in battle. As Rosier said, he was a marked man, and being in the Order of the Phoenix could provide more protection.

On the other hand, joining the Order of the Phoenix would make him even more an enemy of Voldemort. As a rank-and-file wizard, he might be ignored, at least for awhile and in any event, he'd need a job soon after he graduated. _The money from killing Mulciber Sr. won't last forever._

"I think you ought to know, Mr. Snape, that Miss Evans has already joined."

Snape raised an eyebrow. _She never mentioned that to me._

"I asked her to keep it secret. Much as it pains me to admit this, there are many sympathizers of the Dark Lord within Hogwarts, most of them far quieter than Rosier and his friends."

_What?_ "Are you thinking that I'd let something like that slip to Rosier and his gang?"

"Not directly to them, Mr. Snape, but perhaps to friends of theirs. Your predecessor as Slytherin prefect was killed over the summer and they found the Dark Mark fresh on him." He shook his head. "I knew he was interested in some magic Voldemort had allegedly found, but I didn't think he'd go that far."

Snape barely prevented his jaw from dropping. _Is that why I'm prefect?_

"Essentially, yes," Dumbledore said, answering Snape's question.

_He's reading my mind!_

Snape repressed a scowl. He'd been learning Occlumency in Defense Against the Dark Arts, but he obviously wasn't learning it well enough. Dumbledore had gotten in and out so quickly and smoothly that he wouldn't have even known the Headmaster was there if the older man hadn't said what he said.

"Given that you are a member of Slytherin House, the house containing nearly three-fourths of those students I suspect support the Dark Lord, I figured some caution was in order. Miss Evans is not the first of this year's seventh-years to join the Order of the Phoenix either — Potter and the elder Black joined last summer, while I have already asked Lupin and plan to ask Pettigrew soon."

The fact that the Gryffindors — in particular _Potter_ — were asked first, trusted first, irritated Snape.

"I take it you're upset you were not entrusted with the offer until now?"

_He's doing it again!_

Dumbledore frowned. "Very well, Mr. Snape. I'm only employing Legilimency for security purposes. I need to be absolutely certain that what you tell me is the truth. If a Death Eater managed to infiltrate the Order of the Phoenix, the results could be terrible."

Part of Snape recognized the wisdom of the Headmaster's words, but another part of him continued to fume.

"The reason I waited, Mr. Snape, is because I wanted to be absolutely certain your break with the Death Eaters was both genuine and permanent. Voldemort is a master of deception, of trickery."

Snape scowled. "Genuine? The Death Eaters tried to kill my parents and damn near killed Lily and me, and that was just the first time. The second time, it was Avery and Mulciber. I think when one's friends try to kill you, that's a pretty permanent break, sir."

"In times like these, Mr. Snape, one can never be too careful. There have already been defections, people who fought against the Dark but took the Mark when Voldemort found the right lever to push. The situation between you, Mr. Potter, and Miss Evans could have been that lever, even after the fight with Mr. Avery and Mr. Mulciber."

Snape pondered Dumbledore's words. _That would certainly be a good way to get a spy into the Headmaster's good graces._ Sacrifice a couple of pawns — not that great a sacrifice, since Avery and Mulciber had already taken their O.W.L.s and could be trained in N.E.W.T.-level magic outside of school — to get a knight or bishop into position to do real damage.

_But Mulciber Sr. was hardly a pawn._ If Voldemort were willing to sacrifice one of his most powerful supporters to slip a low-grade minion into the Order of the Phoenix, he was either far more clever than generally given credit for or mad. _Of course, it is possible to be both…_

"In any event, Mr. Snape, it is clear where your loyalties lie. I would not have appointed you prefect had I even the slightest suspicion otherwise — now, you can limit the ability of Voldemort's sympathizers in your House to coerce the others into joining them, but as prefect, the opposite would be true. You have performed the task I have given you with flying colors, Mr. Snape, and we would be pleased to have you as a member of the Order."

Snape drew a breath. _You're already an enemy of the Dark Lord._ And Lily had already joined. She would be very disappointed if he did not do the same.

"I'll join."

He extended his forearm, pulling his sleeve back. The older wizard pushed him away with a smile, although Snape could detect sadness in the Headmaster's eyes.

"We don't Mark our people, Mr. Snape," Dumbledore said. "Members of the Order can leave if they wish."

Snape raised an eyebrow.

"Of course, if they have particularly sensitive information, it is often prudent to alter their memories first. Had you rejected my offer, Mr. Snape, I would have had to Obliviate you, to keep you from talking about it."

_Makes sense._

"I sent Mr. Potter and Mr. Black on missions for me during the summer, mostly small things like keeping watch on known Death Eaters. It is unlikely I'll have anything for you to do until after graduation."

Then he locked his eyes on Snape. "If you wish to be an effective member of the Order and not merely risk your life for no reason, you ought to focus more on Defensive magic this year. The latest intelligence indicates that Voldemort has got an army of hundreds of wizards — this in addition to the giants and most of the werewolves — while the total number of members of the Order is around 40."

Snape nodded. _Long odds. I bet the Dark Lord multiples his numbers with Imperio._

"That he does, Mr. Snape. This makes it doubly difficult when we capture Death Eaters—are they loyal to Voldemort, or mere slaves? Many of those we capture plead Imperius, but some we've let go for that purpose immediately return to their master."

Snape scowled. _Must practice Occlumency some more._

Dumbledore looked hard at Snape. "And in case you were wondering, the Order will not use Imperio. There's talk of authorizing the use of Avada Kedavra by the Aurors, but there are depths to which we will not sink. We have no lords and masters among us, Mr. Snape."

The Headmaster's words stung Snape. It was true that the strategic use of Imperius would enable the Order of the Phoenix to multiply its numbers, but he wasn't foolish enough to suggest that. And he didn't want to be anyone's master, although the notion of flogging Father the next time he said something cruel about Mum's looks or skill at cooking did appeal to him.

"However, Mr. Snape, I do recall you worrying about money. What if I told you that a certain Frank Longbottom had told me about the curse you used to bring down the elder Mulciber and I told you that we might add it to N.E.W.T.-level Defense Against the Dark Arts next year?"

Snape's heart leaped into his throat. "Y…you would?"

Dumbledore nodded. "I've given the matter some thought. Voldemort's servants are more than willing to use Unforgivables, Avada Kedavra in particular, and that gives them an advantage. Sectumsempra is not an Unforgivable Curse but it will certainly close the gap — a slash across the throat or gut is just as lethal as the Killing Curse."

Dumbledore smiled. "And you concerns earlier about money. If I act as your agent, I can make sure the publishers of the Defense textbooks give you proper credit and royalties."

Snape's indignation at the Headmaster peering at his thoughts melted beneath the joy the Headmaster's offer brought him. _Recognition! Fame! Glory!_ The creation of a new war-spell alone would earn him a place in wizarding history and although that was his proudest achievement, it would certainly not be his last. Mum would be proud — this is certainly better than any Gobstones championship — and although Lily would fret about his interest in Dark Magic, she'd still be happy at his success.

"I…I would like that very much, sir."


	27. Defense Against the Dark Arts

Defense Against the Dark Arts

**Defense Against the Dark Arts**

By Matthew W. Quinn

**Author's Note: Lupin's Patronus is not my idea. I can't recall exactly where I found it, but it may have been Fiction Alley.**

October 27th, 1977

2:30 PM

"Today, we will be testing you on your ability to cast the Patronus Charm," said the Auror Jonas Sappington, the current year's Defense against the Dark Arts teacher. "This charm is exceedingly effective against the Dementors and some other sorts of Dark creatures that you might have to deal with outside class, since Voldemort…"

Severus Snape felt a shiver pass through the room as the Auror said the name. Even he, familiar with the Dark Arts as he was, did not like to use the name of the darkest wizard in the century, the man whose minions had tried to kill him and his parents. _"You-Know-Who" is so infantile_, he thought. _ "Dark Lord" is a far more fitting title._ Unlike most who used that term, though, he was no Death Eater.

Sappington continued talking as though nothing had happened. "is growing more powerful by the day."

A few rows down, Sirius Black raised his hand. "Professor Sappington," he said. "I'm still not sure why we need to use the Patronus Charm. The Dementors serve the Ministry, correct?"

A frown momentarily crossed Sappington's features. "For now, Mr. Black, for now. There've been…incidents."

Snape swallowed. The notion of a Dementor invading his mind, stripping him of all his happiest thoughts and leaving him with only his darkest memories, did not appeal to him. Neither did having his soul sucked out.

"There are other uses for a Patronus," Sappington said. "I cannot go into detail, but sufficient to say, they're useful for more than driving Dementors away."

Snape saw Potter and Black nod. _They know something I don't._ The thought of someone else — least of all _them_ — knowing something he did not galled him.

Wheels turned in his brain. _They've been in the Order of the Phoenix since last summer. This means that whatever Patronuses are used for besides attacking Dementors is probably tied in with the Order._

He pursed his lips. _When did you last see someone likely connected to the Order using a Patronus?_

Then he remembered Frank the Auror — Frank Longbottom, he knew now — casting a Patronus, sending a supernatural tiger to request medical help for his injured parents. _A means of communication_, he thought. _Very clever._

Part of him wanted to show off a little, suggest that this was the answer and see if the Auror might be impressed with him.

_That would be nice_, he thought. Then he pursed his lips again. _Of course, if Professor Sappington cannot talk about it, there's probably a reason._

His eyes drifted over to Robert Wilkes, who looked somewhat bored. _He probably thinks he can learn war-magic ten times more powerful from the Dark Lord. He's probably right. In any event, whatever information he can learn about the Order of the Phoenix from here, he'll take straight to the Death Eaters._

He decided to keep his mouth shut.

"So," Sappington asked, "Who'd like to go first?"

James Potter and Sirius Black immediately raised their hands. Snape rolled his eyes. _Show-offs._

"Very well. Since Mr. Black questioned the need to use the Patronus Charm, I think he ought to go first."

Black rose from his seat and swaggered towards the front of the class.

"Mr. Black, you can stay in your seat and cast the charm, you know."

He shrugged. "True. But I'd rather not."

The Auror scowled. "Three points from Gryffindor, for your infernal cheek."

Black came forward and bowed to the class.

"Another point from Gryffindor."

Black ignored Sappington and gestured with his wand. A burst of blue-white light erupted from his wand and from that burst, a huge black dog leaped. The animal bounded from desk to desk throughout the classroom before disappearing into nothingness.

"I see you can put your money where your mouth is," the Auror said. "Good job, Mr. Black."

He turned to the class. "Next?"

Now it was Potter's turn to raise his hand. Unlike Black, he didn't invite Sappington's wrath by swaggering or being cheeky.

"All right, Mr. Potter. Your turn."

Potter proceeded to cast the charm perfectly, generating a silver stag that, like Black's dog, bounded from desk to desk.

After a couple of Hufflepuffs that Snape didn't know cast their Patronuses — an owl and a beaver respectively — Remus Lupin raised his hand.

"All right, Mr. Lupin."

The Gryffindor werewolf cast his. For a long moment, nothing emerged from the mass of silver and white light that burned in front of his wand and Sappington began to look rather disappointed.

Then a long, silver horn emerged. That horn was attached to the head of a horse and, slowly, a unicorn took shape.

_A unicorn_, Snape thought. _A symbol of purity. Perhaps this symbolizes his desire to be purified of that which makes him a monster?_

Something flickered deep down inside Snape. _Is that pity?_ He repressed a scowl. Lupin knew what it was like to be bullied, to be hated, and yet he did little to stop _Potter_.

Then his eyes jumped to Lily, last of the Gryffindors to volunteer. Soon, blue and silver light burned in front of her. Snape leaned forward, eager to see what her Patronus was. _I wonder if it'll be something related to me?_ Part of him thought that was foolish pride, but it would certainly be nice.

A fox emerged from the blue and silver light. He wasn't quite sure if there was a deeper meaning behind the creature, but it was certainly beautiful, just like its mistress.

"Bravo," Snape said. He felt people looking at him — nobody had ever commented on anyone's Patronus earlier in the class — but repressed the urge to scowl at them. _Piss off, the lot of you._

"Anyone else wish to volunteer?" Sappington asked. "If nobody volunteers, I'll have to pick someone."

Regulus Black raised his hand. He waved his arm a little as he did so, drawing Sappington's attention.

"I see you'd like to show us that it's not only the Gryffindors who can perform the charm so well."

"Darn right," the younger Black said.

He rose dramatically from his seat and drew his wand. With a thunderous gaze, he stabbed forward with his wand.

A storm of blue-white light poured out of the wand. However, although the incorporeal Patronus was quite flashy, no animal-form emerged from within. Black scowled and stabbed with his wand again. His gesture roiled the blue-white light, but accomplished little else.

Sappington shook his head and flicked his wand, extinguishing Black's attempt.

"This isn't your day, Mr. Black."

He then turned to face Snape.

"Your turn, Mr. Snape," Sappington said. "Perhaps you can redeem the honor of Slytherin House."

The Marauders snickered, but Sappington silenced them with a glare.

_All right. Let's do this._

Snape drew in a breath, then called forth his happiest thoughts.

July 29th, 1969

1:30 PM

Snape stood alone at the park, looking forlornly at the swings where Petunia and Lily had been playing the day before.

_She won't come back_, he thought. _She'll listen to that cow _Petunia_ and I'll never see her again._

Then he heard someone come up behind him.

"Severus," Lily Evans said. "What does it mean to be a witch?"

Snape turned, a smile spreading across his face and an eager gleam in his eyes.

February 2nd, 1977

4 PM

I've done some thinking lately," an older Lily said. She slipped her hands around his neck in a distinctly more-than-friendly manner.

_Holy Mary, _he thought_. Is this what I think it is…?_ He tried to restrain himself from hoping, knowing how often he had been disappointed before, but there was no logical way this could be anything else. His heart pounded faster and faster.

"You've always been a good friend." She smiled. "Let's see if you can be a good boyfriend."

He felt a goofy grin spreading across his face…

October 25th, 1977

8:30 PM

He and Lily slipped into the deserted classroom and Snape shut the door behind him, warding it so that they would not be interrupted.

"I think this might be more comfortable than these chairs," Lily said, stabbing at an empty space with her wand. A fluffy sofa materialized in front of them.

Snape stepped to the side. "Ladies first," he said.

"All right," she said, sitting down on the sofa. He sat down and slipped an arm around her. She leaned over and rested her head on his shoulder.

"So, Sev, what is that you wanted to show me?"

"A little something I cooked up," he said. _A nice magical light show._

He drew his wand and dimmed the lights until the room was nearly pitch black. Then he swept his wand through the air in front of him, the complex incantation running through his mind.

A stream of multicolored light erupted from his wand. The energy poured out of his wand for nearly a minute, spilling onto the floor like an iridescent wine. Snape felt Lily leaning forward and saw her wide eyes taking in the scene.

As the glimmering mass pooled around the desks, glowing vines crept up the chairs and desks until most of the classroom shimmered with an alternating blue and orange light.

Then the energies turned green and silver — the Slytherin colors — before exploding. The fragments of magical power quickly turned into birds — eagles and ravens — that danced through the air.

"Wow," Lily said softly.

"It's not over yet," Snape whispered. "Watch."

The birds quickly flocked together, merging into one corporeal mass. That mass bloomed into a huge flower.

A lily.

"You like it?"

She grinned. "Sev, that was wonderful!"

She leaned forward and kissed him on the forehead.

Snape felt his heart stop momentarily.

_Holy…_

October 27th, 1977

2:30 PM

Snape exhaled and released his power.

_EXPECTO PATRONUM!_

Silver light poured out of his wand. A swirling cloud of magic built in front of him, a mass of white light coalescing in the center.

_Please keep going, please keep going, please keep going_, he thought. He didn't want to get shown up by _Potter_ and his gang, not in front of Lily.

The light in the center of the blue-white cloud grew brighter. Wings folded out from the mass and his Patronus zoomed up in the air, flying in joyful circles around the classroom.

"A bat," Potter snorted. "How exceedingly appropriate."

Snape scowled. "Shut up Potter."

Potter smiled at Lily. "I think _my_ Patronus is far more lovable and cuddlier creature than his, don't you think?"

Lily rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say, James." She reached up and caught Snape's Patronus in her hand. She held it and stroked it, as if she were petting a bird or small animal. "I actually think this is kind of cute."

Potter scowled and Snape winked salaciously at him. Potter's scowl deepened.

"Whatever," he muttered.

"Good job, Mr. Snape," Sappington said.

The remainder of the class passed by quickly. Wilkes was just as unable as the younger Black to produce a full Patronus, although his incorporeal Patronus was more developed. McIntosh was in roughly the same boat as Wilkes, although Snape thought he could detect the beginning of an animal head somewhere in the blue-white mass.

_Perhaps he'll need some help_, Snape thought. He did not want McIntosh to become dependent on him, but a little assistance wouldn't hurt him, would it? _Perhaps I can arrange for to be able to do something to help me in return?_

"Don't forget," Sappington called out as the students left. "I'll be around in the evening for additional help for resisting the Imperius Curse."

_That's something else for our group to learn._ Rosier, Black, and Wilkes have been up to something over the summer, something that's made them tougher and more powerful than last year. If Avery and Mulciber could cast the Avada Kedavra in their 6th year, it was probable that the evil trio could manage all three Unforgivables.

_Rosier has tried to attack me openly and gotten crushed for his pains, as did Avery and Mulciber. It would be better to use another, preferably several such anothers, as weapons._

"You up for that?" he asked Lily as they made their way down the corridor.

Lily nodded. "Yeah. You bringing Allen?"

Snape nodded.

"Good. I'll bring Aly Henderson. She'll definitely be interested in this."

_She would, wouldn't she?_

Snape shrugged. "The more the merrier."

Lily smiled. "That's the spirit. See you after dinner."

Lily disappeared into the crush, headed towards her next class. Snape turned away and headed towards the library. He had some studying to do.

_Legilimency is highly regulated_, he thought. _I could go through the proper channels to learn the skill, but that would mean that anyone who peruses the list of approved Legilimens would know what I can do. Always best to have an ace nobody knows about._

He smiled. Although the subject was only taught in Ministry-monitored classes outside of school, nobody had thought to keep books on the subject out of the Hogwarts library. He'd been studying them intently the last few days, always keeping a copy of _Prefects Who Gained Power_ nearby to hide what he was really doing if anyone came near.

_After all, everybody expects a Slytherin to be a little power-hungry…_


	28. Hooliganry and Revelations

Hooliganry and Revelations

**Hooliganry and Revelations**

By Matthew W. Quinn

**Author's Note: **Those of you who are into S/L fan-fiction might be interested in checking out Sindie's story "The Moment It Began," the story which inspired me to become more interested in _Harry Potter_ and ultimately write this one. Although I borrowed a lot of her fan-base, chances are a lot of y'all found my fic first.

November 22nd, 1977

9:30 PM

Severus Snape and Lily Evans stepped out of the Three Broomsticks, John Anderson and Amanda Green joining them soon afterward.

"We'll see you two tomorrow," Anderson said. "Last bloody Transfigurations test before finals."

Lily smiled. "Good luck with that."

Amanda smiled. "Thanks."

The two Ravenclaws made their way back towards the castle, leaving Snape and Lily by themselves.

"Want to go back to the castle, or walk around a bit?" Snape asked. "I'm not on duty tonight."

Lily looked at her watch. "I'm not on until 11:15. There's still a bit of time before duty calls."

She looked around, then pointed to a small street that led away from the Three Broomsticks. "I've never been that way before. Want to check it out?"

Snape looked at the dark street uneasily. _It's late and it doesn't look like anyone's there. Times being what they were, this might be a very bad idea._

"I don't know, Lily," he said. "It might not be entirely safe."

"C'mon, Sev," she said, taking his hand. "That would make it an adventure!"

Snape swallowed. "All right. But not too long, all right?"

"Sure."

The two of them made their way down the unfamiliar street. Just in case, Snape drew his wand, and kept a sharp eye out. The area was nearly deserted, with a few seedy strangers watching them from the windows.

_This is like Knock-Turn Alley, only without interesting items for sale._

Lily stopped short. "This isn't really that interesting. How about we go back?"

Snape was about respond affirmatively when something dropped from the roof of a nearby building onto the street behind them.

"Oy!" a harsh, unfamiliar voice said. Both of them spun.

The speaker was tall and looked both hungry and angry. Snape narrowed his eyes, examining the stranger's features.

The man could have been 30, except there were gray streaks in his hair and lines around his eyes. And those eyes looked old, old and experienced in cruelty.

_Death Eater's eyes._

The man wore wizarding clothes, although they were shabby and patched in places. He felt the hairs rising on the back of his neck and fear-sweat forming along his brow and in his armpits. He'd seen the strange combination of youth and age before, on Remus Lupin.

_He's a werewolf._

His eyes jumped to the moon overhead. _Quarter-moon._ No risk of contracting lycanthropy. Bites from a werewolf in human form sometimes had…interesting side effects, but never full-blown infection.

Two more werewolves emerged from alleys on the opposite side of the street. Behind him, Snape could hear a fourth.

"Back to back," Lily whispered.

"Aye."

The two drew closer together, Lily drawing her wand.

"Mulciber sends his compliments," the first werewolf said. "He said he figured we'd find you together."

"Mulciber," Lily hissed. "The gift that keeps on giving."

"He's too well-known in Hogsmeade to show his face," the werewolf said. "So he figured _we_ could take care of the blood traitor and the Mudblood who led him astray."

The werewolves drew closer. Snape and Lily raised their wands. Rather than cower, three of the four werewolves drew wands of their own. The fourth werewolf, who looked a bit less hungry than the others, drew a switchblade knife.

"You're not the only ones with wands," the first werewolf snapped.

"That may be," Lily responded coolly. "But we're the ones who actually know how to use them."

_Gryffindor bravado_. _Typical_. While Lily engaged in a trash-talk session with the circling werewolves, Snape was already sizing them up for weaknesses, looking for vulnerable spots. Three of the four werewolves carried wands, but based on how they walked, they weren't trained duelists.

_You've dealt with worse from the Marauders._

"I'll show you," the werewolf snarled. "Incendio!"

A tongue of flame leaped towards Snape. _Protego_. The fire spread out over the magical shield and dissipated. He felt Lily casting the same charm behind him.

"Petrificus Totalis! Stupefy! Confringo!" The three wand-bearing werewolves struck at once, hammering at the couple's Shield charms. The fourth werewolf slipped forward, knife at ready.

_Sectumsempra._ Snape tore a brutal cut across the face of one of the werewolves, sending him staggering. _Confringo_.

"Protego!" Snape's attack slammed into a magical barrier and dissipated. _They aren't without skill, even if they don't seem to be able to cast non-verbally._

Behind him, he could feel Lily striking, saw flashes of red and silver light as she cast a barrage of Stunners and Blasting spells.

The lead werewolf and his knife-wielding companion drew back, leaving two of their fellows unconscious on the ground. The leader glared at Lily.

"You've cost the Dark Lord a powerful servant, you Muggle-born slut," he hissed. "Before Mulciber decided to have a little fun and Snape here committed blood treason, he was well on his way to becoming a Death Eater."

Snape felt his blood run cold. _This could get very ugly very quickly._

"I doubt that," Lily said. "He had some bad friends, yeah, but a Death Eater?"

"You Mudblood!" the fourth werewolf snarled.

The first werewolf glared at the fourth. _I guess he doesn't like his dramatic, shocking revelation interrupted, _Snape thought_. Time to take advantage. Stupefy!_

The spell knocked the werewolf out. Lily turned her emerald eyes on the last remaining werewolf and gazed scornfully. "You don't have much room to talk, given that you don't have a wand. Were you a Muggle before you were bitten?"

The werewolf was dumbstruck for a long moment, then snarled with fury and lunged. Lily Stunned him before he had gotten two feet.

"Enervate!" Snape's gaze leaped to one of the werewolves that Lily had taken down. _He must have been knocked unconscious with a Blasting spell, not Stunned._ Snape quickly Stunned him, but the first werewolf was conscious again.

"He didn't tell you? He wanted the Mark! He asked Malfoy for the Mark!"

_Silencio!_ Snape jabbed with his wand and although the werewolf's mouth was moving, no sound came out. The enemy's shocked expression had given way to one of mirth.

Snape's gaze crept over to Lily. She was looking at him, eyes wide and face pale.

_No! No! No!_ By Silencing the werewolf instead of Stunning him, he'd proven him right.

The first werewolf grinned and mouthed something foul at Snape. He scrambled for a nearby alley, but Snape quickly Stunned him.

Rage boiled in Snape's heart. _That bastard_, he thought, his odium applying equally to Mulciber and the first werewolf. Mulciber was big and dumb, but he had a sort of low cunning. _He must've ordered the werewolves to reveal to Lily just what you were involved in, hoping that Lily would abandon you when she found out, if they couldn't kill you._

He sighed, then raised his wand and began firing a distress signal into the sky above Hogsmeade. _Times being what they are, law enforcement, maybe even Aurors, should arrive quickly._

November 22nd, 1977

11:00 PM

After the four werewolves were taken away by the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and he and Lily made their statements, the two of them finally had some time to themselves. They made their way to a deserted classroom and Snape conjured a couch. It had been a trying evening.

"Trouble seems to be following us these days," he remarked, sinking down onto the sofa.

"It does, doesn't it," Lily replied. There was something different about her voice, something distant. She sat down on the couch next to him, but further away then usual.

_Uh-oh._

"Sev," Lily said.

Snape knew what she was going to ask him about. "Are you asking if what that man said is true? That I wanted to take the Dar…You-Know-Who's Mark and become a Death Eater?"

She nodded.

"I'd really rather not talk about it." Even thinking about what happened back then brought shame welling up from within him. _Hopefully she'll understand._

"Sev," she repeated. He felt her hand on his shoulder. "Severus, we need to be honest with each other. Did you want to be a Death Eater?" Her voice was far firmer than usual, and she was using his full name. "I know that some people were saying that, but I didn't believe them, told them they were wrong. Was I right to do that?"

He swallowed. Much as he'd like that aspect of his past to stay secret, closing himself off would just get on Lily's nerves.

_And she does have a right to know._

"All right," he said. He cast a Silencing ward on the door. "This doesn't leave the room, all right?"

She nodded.

December 10th, 1975

12 AM

"The Dark Lord is pleased," Lucius Malfoy said. "The pride of Slytherin, and the other Houses too, gathered together to witness the induction of a new Death Eater, a new Knight of Walpurgis."

Malfoy stood before a group of just over a dozen students gathered in a clearing in the Forbidden Forest. The students were hooded — all the better to conceal their identities from prying eyes or from one another — and as the chill wind whipped through the clearing, they all pulled their cloaks a little tighter about themselves.

"What's a Knight of Walpurgis?" Mulciber whispered to Snape.

"An older name for the Death Eaters," Snape whispered back. He swallowed, trying to hold down his unease at this breach of rules. A few nights before, they'd been talking about what they'd like to do after graduation and Snape — not entirely seriously — had agreed with Avery and Mulciber about becoming a Death Eater. Earlier that evening, they'd come to him and dragooned him into joining them and some other students in a little trip to the Forest.

"Come forward," Malfoy said. Jared Bailey, a recent graduate, stepped forward from the mass of hooded students to face the older man.

_A strange bird_, Snape thought. _A Hufflepuff who wants to be a Death Eater._ Most who wished to serve the Dark Lord were Slytherin, but Voldemort cared only for blood purity, not House membership.

"Kneel," the former Head Boy commanded. Bailey knelt.

"Once you take the Mark, there is only one way out of the Dark Lord's service and that is death," Malfoy said. "Taking his Mark means you serve him, you make him your Lord, to the bitter end. Are you willing to make that commitment?"

Bailey nodded.

"In the presence of witnesses," Malfoy began. "Do you offer yourself, body and soul, to the service of the Dark Lord?"

"I do."

"Do you offer him your right arm in battle, access to your lands and properties if he so chooses, and the right to punish you for any failure on your part?"

"I do."

"And do you acknowledge that any attempt to leave his service, any treason, will result in a most hideous death?"

A moment's hesitation. One of Malfoy's eyebrows crept incrementally upward.

"I do."

Malfoy smiled.

"Give me your arm," he said. Bailey extended his arm, pulling his sleeve back.

"It is a rare honor for the Dark Lord to allow one of his servants to Mark his new disciples," Malfoy said. "Someday, Mr. Bailey, you may receive this honor as well."

Malfoy drew his wand, then touched the tip to the initiate's exposed forearm.

The wand sizzled like frying bacon when it touched Bailey's flesh. The sound grew louder, filling the clearing. Snape could see tears running down Bailey's face, but he did not move as the sizzling continued.

After a long moment, Malfoy withdrew his wand.

"It is finished," the older man intoned. "Show them."

Bailey rose to his feet and faced the crowd. A proud expression gleamed on his tearstained face as he raised his right arm. A skull with a snake emerging from its mouth, the sign of the Dark Lord, glowered at the other students from his forearm.

Snape suppressed a shudder, mind still dwelling on the terrible ritual. _Taking the Mark is a gateway to power, to respect, to knowledge, wealth, and maybe even immortality. But the price…_

Malfoy's gaze floated from face to face. "Is there anyone else who wishes to take the Mark tonight?"

"Sev," Avery whispered from behind him. "Didn't you say you wanted to take the Mark?"

Snape swallowed. "Yeah, I did." _Funny, it's a lot easier to say you'll do it in the warm, comfortable Slytherin common room than out here in the Forbidden Forest in the middle of the night._

"Severus Snape," Malfoy said. "Do you too wish to take the Mark?"

Snape swallowed. _Unlimited power_, he thought. _Unlimited power, unlimited knowledge. The possible mastery of Death._ He thought back to the time that Aaron Maddox, who'd graduated the year before, met up with him and Avery in Hogsmeade. He showed him his Mark and told him of the magic the Dark Lord had taught him, how to manufacture Portkeys, see events happening hundreds of miles away, to bend animals and even weak-minded humans to one's will, and penetrate even the most heavily-Occluded minds.

He swallowed again. "Y…yes, Lucius."

Malfoy shook his head. "Your eagerness is to be commended, Severus. That being said, the Dark Lord does not Mark students under normal circumstances. It would be too easy for the student to be discovered or incarcerated, or turned against us and made to spy."

The older man smiled. "But when you graduate, then we'll talk. I would be honored to Mark you myself."

November 22nd, 1977

11:10 PM

Snape saw tears leaking out of Lily's emerald eyes when he finished the tale.

_Please don't hate me, Lily. I didn't know just what this "service" involved, what lay behind the promise of unlimited power._

"Lily," he said. "Lily, please. That was nearly two years ago. I…I know better now."

She did not immediately respond; she just kept looking at him with tear-filled eyes.

"I know Avery and Mulciber pushed you," she said. "But y…you said you'd loved me since the day at the park, since you were nine," she said. "If that's true, why did you even _consider_ joining an organization that would see me and all of my birth dead?"

Snape swallowed.

"Several reasons," he said. He paused.

Lily raised an eyebrow. "Continue."

He swallowed. "For starters, acceptance in my own House. I'm a Half-Blood and most Slytherins are Purebloods and rather proud of that. Nobody in Gryffindor cares about that sort of thing, but it _is_ a big deal down in the dungeons."

He swallowed again. "To be a Half-Blood in Slytherin, one has to be twice as clever, twice as ruthless, and twice as powerful to win any respect. And that's not even a given sometimes." Avery and Mulciber had accepted him, preferring to vent their ire on Muggle-borns, but Rosier and Black had never been particularly friendly. "If I became a Death Eater, if I took the Mark, all of them would like me. Everyone loves you, Lily, you don't need to worry about that sort of thing. But I did then, and sometimes I wonder if I still do."

"Is that it?"

"No," Snape said. "As we've talked about, I've always been interested in the Dark Arts. I could improve my knowledge, my skill, a hundred-fold by taking the Mark, learning from some of the most powerful wizards in our age. And given how Potter and his friends were always ganging up on me, Dark Magic would give _me_ the advantage for once."

He swallowed again. "And I wanted to be part of something bigger than myself."

"Is the extermination of Muggle-borns a price you were willing to pay? Were you willing to sell me out?"

"No!" Snape shouted. "No," he said, more quietly. "Never you."

"Sev," Lily said. "Sooner or later, you'd have had to make a choice."

He nodded. "I know. I did."

Lily smiled, the first time since the whole mess had started. Her hand returned to his shoulder. "I know. I'm glad."

Snape felt the dark clouds enveloping his heart beginning to lift.

"You're a member of the Order of the Phoenix now, we both are. You _are_ part of something bigger than yourself." She looked at him. "And even if you weren't part of the Order, you'd still be brilliant, witty, and loyal."

It was Snape's turn to smile. "Thanks, Lily."

A long moment passed. "Y…you don't hate me, do you?"

Lily looked horrified. "No! No, I don't hate you." She swallowed. "This was just a big shock."

Snape swallowed. "Thanks."

He leaned forward and, after a moment, she leaned forward too. They rested their foreheads against each other for a long moment.

"You know," Lily said. "I've still got to walk the halls tonight. I'm supposed to meet up with Remus in a few minutes."

Snape raised an eyebrow. "Remus? Haven't you had enough werewolves for one night?"

Lily threw back her head and mock-howled.

Snape laughed in spite of himself.


	29. Christmas with the Snapes and Evanses

Christmas With the Snapes and Evanses

**Christmas With the Snapes and Evanses**

By Matthew W. Quinn

**Author's Note**: The concept of Mr. Evans having heart problems comes from "The Road Not Taken," by kellydofc.

December 25th, 1977

10:30 AM

Severus Snape ran his fingers over his body, making sure that everything had arrived in Diagon Alley in good order. _It wouldn't do to splinch yourself on Christmas._ Most of the Accidental Magic Reversal Squad would be at home with their families and those who weren't would be spread thin.

He removed the letter from Mum from his pocket and examined the directions she'd given him. If he misplaced the letter, finding out where his parents were staying could be difficult given that their apartment was under the Fidelius Charm.

_Mulciber's still out there, still plotting revenge for his father's death and my "blood treason,"_ Snape thought. _Best destroy the letter once you find the place._

He made his way down the main street, then turned down a side street. He turned down another street and found the door to his parents' apartment, a door that nobody else would be able to see unless Eileen told them where it was.

He didn't have a key and Apparating through the door would be rather rude, so he knocked.

The door opened a moment later, but there was nobody there. _What?_

"You must be the young Master Severus," a high-pitched voice said from around Snape's knee. Snape looked down and saw a little House-Elf standing by the door.

_A House-Elf? We've got a House-Elf?_ Only the richest wizarding families had such creatures, families like Malfoys. Lily had never told him much about her brief relationship with Potter — something he was secretly glad of — and what little she had said did not include references to House-Elves.

_I've got something that Potter doesn't. Excellent._ He allowed himself a small smile.

"Yes, I am Severus Snape. May I come in?"

"Yes you may, Master Severus. You're expected."

Snape stepped inside and hung up his coat — the long brown one Mrs. Evans had pushed him to buy — on a coat-rack near the door. He then drew his wand.

_Incendio._ The letter revealing how to get to the elder Snapes' hiding place was quickly reduced to ash. He then pointed his wand at the pile of ash on the floor.

"Do not worry, Master Severus. Sammy will get to that."

_Evanesco._ "Don't worry about it." _Putting up with Father is probably stressful enough for the little fellow._

"Mum?" he called out. "I'm here."

Eileen Prince Snape emerged from the nearby kitchen. "Hallo, Severus," she said, embracing him and kissing him on the cheek.

"Hallo, Mum," he said. He looked around the house. "Nice place."

Eileen nodded. "It belonged to a Ministry official killed by Death Eaters just before you, Lily, and Mr. Potter drove Mulciber's son out of Hogwarts." She allowed herself a small smile. "Strangely appropriate, I think, hiding from Death Eaters in a place whose owner was killed by them."

Sammy walked over and Eileen patted him on the head. "You never mentioned a House Elf in your letters," Snape remarked.

Eileen shrugged. "The Ministry provided him. He's a big help around the place." She looked around and Snape followed her gaze. _Much cleaner than Spinner's End._

"You know, this is the closest thing I've had to a vacation since we went to Brighton Beach all those years ago."

Someone coughed from another room. "Is the boy here?" Tobias Snape grated. "Been waiting here all morning for him."

Eileen's face fell at her husband's harshness. Snape scowled and his hand, still holding his wand, twitched.

"Don't mind him," Eileen said. "He's upset because he's the only Muggle living in a wizarding city and he feels inferior."

"Let him feel inferior," Snape grated. "I don't think you were happy, living all those years in a Muggle slum — thanks to _him_."

"Severus," Eileen said, an edge in her voice. "It's Christmas and this is inappropriate. Besides, if it weren't for us living in that 'Muggle slum,' you'd have never met Lily."

Snape swallowed. _True._ He remembered the Squib priest quoting the verse from Romans about how the Lord worked all things out for the good of those who loved him. He scowled. _That doesn't make Father's behavior good, by any means._

"How is she doing, by the way?"

Snape smiled. "She's doing just fine. I'm going to see her and her family, later today."

"That's good. She's a nice girl." Eileen's lips moved briefly but she did not say more. Snape repressed a scowl — left unsaid was "even if she is a Muggle-born." Mum was always kind to Lily, but old prejudices die hard.

He decided to ignore that. "How do you like living among wizards again?"

Eileen smiled. "It's nice. Given that we're supposed to be in hiding, I don't get out very much — and your father mostly stays in and fumes — but it's a lot less drab around here than Spinner's End and…"

Something fell over in the room where Tobias was. "Damn it, you misbegotten creature! Can't you stay out of the way of the bloody telly?"

"Sorry, Master Tobias, so sorry," the house-elf said. "I'll bash my head into the wall if it pleases you."

"Do that," the elder Snape grated. Something thumped against the wall a moment later.

Snape scowled.

"He doesn't like Sammy," Eileen said. "Doesn't trust him. He always locks our door at night." Eileen allowed herself a small smile and lowered her voice. "I haven't told him Sammy can Apparate through the door. It would only upset him."

Snape allowed himself a small smile in return.

The two of them entered the sitting room where Tobias watched the news on an out-of-place-looking Muggle television with rabbit-ear antennae. "Bloody IRA's at it again," he grated. "Perhaps we ought to start tossing the Irish out of Ulster. They can't blow things up if they're on the other side of a wall."

Snape looked at the television, saw bodies without any visible damage being carried away. _That's not the work of the Irish Republican Army._

"All right," Tobias said gruffly. "We're all here, so let's have some lunch." He turned towards Sammy. "Elf, bring us something to eat."

"Yes, Master Tobias," the House-Elf said. The creature disappeared into the nearby kitchen.

A moment passed. "While we're waiting," Tobias said. "Let's do gifts. I'll go first."

Tobias rose from his chair and left the room. He returned a moment later with a crudely wrapped package.

_I guess this is where I get my package-wrapping skills_, Snape thought, thinking back to his Christmas present for Lily the year before.

"It's for you, Severus," the older man said. He handed the package to his son.

Snape pulled the wrappings off. It was a knife, done in the banana-shaped style of a Gurkha's blade but of obvious Goblin manufacture.

"It's a wizard's blade," Tobias said. "Not sure why your folk don't use guns, but that's beyond my pay grade."

Snape examined the weapon. _Wow. This is one of the nicest gifts he's ever gotten me._ There were some years Tobias had never gotten his son a present, saying that he ought to learn to be disappointed at an early age, and there were other years where money, not motivation, was the problem.

"Th…thank you, Father," Snape said.

"Your turn, Eileen," the older man said, ignoring his son's response. Snape repressed a scowl. _Just when I thought he was getting better._

Eileen fished behind Tobias's chair and retrieved a book-shaped package. Snape unwrapped it and found a copy of _The Book of Infernal Things_, one of the better-known Dark Arts textbooks used by the Durmstrang Institute.

"Wow," Snape said. "Thanks, Mum."

Eileen smiled. "They had it at a discount at one of the smaller bookshops. I figured it might come in handy, given that the Death Eaters are probably looking for you too."

Tobias frowned, probably sensing that Snape preferred Eileen's present to his. "Bet you'll need to hide that from your little girlfriend. Eileen says she's never really liked that stuff."

_Shut up, Father._ Part of him winced at this ingratitude but another part of him wished Father weren't such a wanker. "Oh, she doesn't mind so much now, so long as I keep it to myself."

He decided to change the subject. "Now for your presents." He reached into his schoolbag and took out a copy of the newest edition of Potions Market and handed it to his mother.

"Thank you, Severus," she said. "Very thoughtful of you." She flipped through the book. "I've been brewing some interesting things lately, more than before. Perhaps I'll be able to make some extra money."

Tobias looked like he was going to say something hurtful, so Snape decided to placate him. "Don't worry, Father. I haven't forgotten you."

"I'm glad."

Snape fished into his bag and pulled out a pair of packages. It would be easier to wrap both of them together, but he figured his father's insecurities would be salved by receiving two gifts instead of one.

Tobias opened his first present. _St. Michael and the Dragon: Memoirs of a Paratrooper_. Snape knew his father had served with the British military during the Suez War and figured he might be interested in hearing about how their French allies had done.

The second gift was a record, the soundtrack for the musical _The Card_. Tobias would have erupted like a volcano if anyone outside the family and his circle of drinking mates knew he liked musical theatre.

Now it was his turn to awkwardly thank his son. Snape suppressed a smile at the irony.

"Thank you, my boy. Ve…very considerate of you."

A moment later, Sammy entered the room, tottering beneath a large tray of food.

"Your lunch, Masters and Mistress."

December 25th, 1977

4:30 PM

Eventually, it came time for Snape to leave his parents' hiding place and return to Manchester for his customary dinner with the Evanses.

"Goodbye, Master Severus," the house-elf had said. Snape had merely nodded as he hustled out the door and made his way to the main street of Diagon Alley.

_All right_, he thought. _Lily's house at 4:30_. He drew a breath. _Destination. Determination. Deliberation._

He materialized in the Evans' backyard, near the slide he and Lily used to play on. Mr. Evans looked up from shoveling the walkway between the back porch and the gate.

"Hallo, Severus," he said. He looked at his watch. "Right on time. Do come in and make yourself at home."

"Thank you, sir," Snape replied. He made his way to the porch, but stopped just before the back door.

"Do you need any help with that?" _A good Vanishing spell would be able to take care of the snow._

Mr. Evans shook his head. "Thanks, but no. Need to exercise more these days."

Snape nodded. Lily had said her father hadn't been well lately, but hadn't gone into detail and Snape had not asked.

Snape nodded and moved to open the back door. It was locked.

_Alohomora._ The door unbolted itself and Snape entered the Evans' sitting room, only to be confronted almost immediately by Petunia Evans.

"Couldn't you just have knocked?"

Snape restrained himself from rolling his eyes. "Would you have opened the door if I had?"

Petunia did not immediately answer. _No surprise there._

"Figures."

Petunia scowled back at him. Further verbal combat between the two was only averted by the arrival of Lily from the kitchen.

"Sev!" She bounded over and hugged him. Snape returned her embrace and did his best to ignore Petunia, whose face bore an exaggerated expression of disgust.

"How'd your visit with your parents go?"

Snape looked at Petunia out of the corner of his eye. Petunia took the hint and turned away, busying herself with straightening up the coffee table.

"It went nicely enough. Mum and Father are holed up" — he felt his throat tightening as the Fidelius magic began to take effect — "somewhere safe and I went to see them there." He considered mentioning the house-elf but suspected that would involve Father's dislike of the creature and decided not to discuss that. "They're doing well."

"_Well" being relative where my parents are concerned._ Cooped up like they were with only each other and the elf for company, they'd either work out their many problems or one of them would kill the other.

If it came to violence, Snape would bet on Father — he was trained, even if he was out of shape, and was more aggressive — but despite her lack of backbone where her husband was concerned, Mum could be fierce too.

_She did help take on those Death Eaters._

Lily leaned close to Snape and whispered so that only he could hear. "Maybe if they're far away from the pubs, things will get better."

Snape restrained himself from rolling his eyes. "I hope so."

He doubted it. If Father started getting thirsty, he could always make Sammy go fetch him a firewhiskey and _that_ could get very interesting. Father seemed less obnoxious than he'd been a year before, but still…

Then the doorbell rang.

Snape's gaze crawled towards the hallway leading to the front door. He didn't know about anyone else coming to visit.

_Could be Death Eaters._

He knew that an Auror had been assigned to watch over the Evans home, but Aurors could be killed too if the Death Eaters were powerful or numerous enough.

Petunia's face lit up. "That must be Vernon!" she said. She scrambled off to answer the door.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Oh great," she said as soon as her sister was well enough away.

"Not a fan?"

Lily shook her head. "I don't know _what_ she sees in him. He's so _dull_ and…"

Then Vernon Dursley entered the room and Lily quickly shut up.

Snape's dark eyes took in Petunia's boyfriend. He was big, broad-shouldered and with the beginning of a gut, which reminded him all too much of Father. Unlike Father, however, Vernon had a normal-sized nose and a bristly mustache.

"Hallo, everyone," Dursley said gruffly. "Merry Christmas to you all."

"This is my boyfriend, Vernon Dursley," Petunia announced proudly. "He graduated from Smelting's a few years ago and works as a district manager for Grunning's, the drill company."

_An ordinary Muggle who went to an ordinary school and holds an ordinary job, Snape mused. How delightfully_ ordinary. _I wonder if he knows Petunia wanted to attend Hogwarts too?_

Lily smiled, a smile Snape suspected was forced. "Welcome to our home, Vernon." Snape tried to recede into the background, but Lily found him and pulled him over. "This is my boyfriend, Severus Snape."

"Charmed," Snape said, extending his hand and forcing himself to smile.

Dursley looked at him skeptically but shook his hand. Snape noted that the other man's grip was a bit too firm for his liking.

"Lily, Petunia, come help me with dinner," Mrs. Evans called from the kitchen. The two girls disappeared, leaving Snape and Dursley alone.

_Now this is bloody lovely._

Dursley leaned forward. "You're one of _those people_ aren't you, just like Lily?"

Snape leaned forward. "Yes, I am one of _those people_." He considered saying something to the effect of "You got a problem with that?" but decided not to. He wouldn't want to make a scene and potentially not be invited back.

"Just making sure," Dursley said gruffly. "Petunia's been telling me about some awfully dodgy things going on around here."

Snape looked down his hooked nose at the other man who, despite being somewhat older, was still shorter. "She ought not to be talking about that," Snape said.

The Ministry did not Obliviate family members of witches and wizards under normal circumstances — and Obliviating family members of Muggle-borns was dreadfully impractical — but there were times Snape wished they'd make an exception for Petunia Evans.

_Perhaps I'll see just what this Dursley knows and inform the Obliviators._

The two of them looked at each other awkwardly for a moment. Dursley was the one who broke the silence.

"Have you ever been to Majorca, Mr. Snape?" he asked.

Snape shook his head.

"Well, it's a wonderful place. Someday, when I've made enough money, I'll buy a house there."

_So he has a dream, an ambition._ Snape could approve of that.

"That's good."

The silence fell again.

"So what do you do, Mr. Snape?"

Snape swallowed. "Well, Lily and I are still in school. After we graduate, I figured I might become" — he searched for the Muggle equivalent of Apothecary — "a chemist."

"A chemist," Dursley repeated. "Respectable job, that." He clapped Snape on the back, making Snape flinch. "Better than that Potter fellow. I heard he wasn't planning on getting a job after graduation. I hope he wasn't planning on living on the dole. Do they have arts degrees at your school, or English degrees? A lot of those people do that, live on welfare and _create_."

Even though he suspected Potter would probably live on his family's wealth and devote his time to fighting the Dark Lord, Snape couldn't help but smile at the opprobrium Dursley was heaping on his old rival.

Snape wondered if it was a good idea to continue the conversation by bashing Potter, but also wondered if Lily would hear. _She's still friends with him, to a degree, and she wouldn't appreciate it. And Lily is right — Dursley does lack imagination._

The silence fell again.

The back door opened and Mr. Evans came in. "Ah, I see you've met," he said as soon as he noticed the two young men. "Friends yet?"

Snape swallowed. _I wouldn't think so, even if we do share an interest._

"Not yet," Dursley said. "But perhaps." Snape deduced from the tone of his voice that that day would be a long time coming, if ever.

"That's good," Mr. Evans said as he shed his winter clothes. "I'll go check on Pam and the girls in the kitchen." As he took his coat off, Snape noticed how pale he looked.

_Hmm…he says he needs more exercise and he looks pale. Probably something's wrong with his heart._

Mr. Evans disappeared into the kitchen. A moment later, Mrs. Evans called Snape and Dursley in for dinner.

As they ate, Snape kept an eye on Dursley. _He sure loves to eat._ The older man had already consumed most of his portion of the goose, two rolls, and a fairly large portion of vegetables in the time that Snape had finished one roll and only a few bites of goose. He noted that Dursley, although he ate quickly, went about it with a methodical precision. Once he started eating a particular item, he finished it before moving on, unlike him or Lily, who tended to munch on several things simultaneously.

"Petunia, could you pass me the rolls?" he asked. Petunia handed him the basket and he took out two more.

_He must be hungry. Still, he should only take one roll at a time._

After they'd finished dinner, it was time for presents. The Evanses generally gave and received their gifts before dinner; Snape suspected the later arrival of Dursley had altered the schedule.

Snape slipped off to the other room and retrieved his schoolbag, which contained his gifts for Lily and her parents. _I'm a regular post-Punk Father Christmas_, he thought.

For Mr. and Mrs. Evans, Snape had gotten some books on the history of the magical world — _as parents of a Muggle-born, they might be interested in that_ — and for Lily, a golden necklace with a ruby teardrop. That had been expensive, but he figured it would go well with her hair.

"Thanks, Sev," Lily said. "That's wonderful." She pulled him close and hugged him.

For Snape, Lily had gotten some more books on Defense against the Dark Arts, as well as a book on Potions Theory.

"We'll have our N.E.W.T.s in a few months," she said. "I figured these might help you."

Snape smiled. "Thanks, Lily."

"Did you get Petunia anything?" Dursley asked. "Not polite, I don't think…"

Snape barely repressed a scowl. "I wouldn't thinks she'd want anything I'd give her," Snape said acidly.

"I don't think Sev and Petunia have ever given each other anything," Lily said quickly. "Maybe next year, though."

_Thanks Lily._

"Good," Dursley said.

Snape felt an overwhelming urge to roll his eyes, but he didn't want to aggravate the awkward situation. Part of him remembered how Petunia had insulted him about living on Spinner's End, accused him of wearing his mother's clothes. Had Petunia been kinder in the interim, Snape might be inclined to forgive, but that was not the case.

Mr. Evans was able to save the situation.

"Is anyone up for some caroling?"


	30. A Better Potter?

A Better Potter

**A Better Potter?**

By Matthew W. Quinn

January 31st, 1978 AD

4:30 PM

Severus Snape made his way down the Hogwarts corridor with a collection of papers for Horace Slughorn.

_I hate writing reports_, he thought. But prefect duties demanded weekly reports on the condition of the House and the activities of its students. _Including other prefects_, he thought sadly. He suspected at least two of the other Slytherin prefects were supporters of Voldemort, while others just wanted to stay out of the way. He needed to discuss that with the Head of Slytherin House but he wondered how much the older man would care.

He approached the stairway leading to Slughorn's office when a series of crashes erupted from within the hospital wing.

_What the hell?_ Snape stashed the papers in his schoolbag and drew his wand. He flattened himself against the wall and crept towards the disturbance, eyes locked on the infirmary door. The noise drew other students and soon several people stood watching, most with wands at the ready.

Something slammed into the door. More crashes and then a moment later, the door blew outward. A second later, someone landed in a heap at Snape's feet.

James Potter staggered out looking like a mess.

"James!" someone cried out behind Snape. Snape turned around. _Mary Macdonald?_

Lily's brown-haired friend rushed over to Potter and hugged him impulsively. "James, are you all right?"

_Now where have I seen this before?_ Snape's mind flashed back to duel on the battlements, how Lily rushed to the wounded James. _If Potter and Mary are an item now, that means he's less likely to try to woo Lily away._

"Yeah," Potter said, returning her affection. "Just had a little Death Eater problem right now." He pointed at the fallen man. That yanked Snape's mind back to the present.

Snape felt his heart skip a beat. _A Death Eater? In Hogwarts?_

Professor Minerva McGonagall, Head of Gryffindor, rushed over. "What happened!" she shouted. "What's going on?"

"I'll tell you," Potter said, keeping an eye on the fallen man.

January 31st, 1978 AD

4:25 PM

"I'll be right back," Madame Pomfrey said. "Just lie still and rest."

"Will do," Potter said. He'd been practicing at his old role of Chaser — they finally found a replacement for the Seeker and didn't need him to substitute anymore — and there'd been a severe mishap with several Bludgers. Pomfrey had fixed the various broken bones but wanted him to remain in the hospital wing and rest for a few hours.

As soon as the woman disappeared from the room, Potter realized he was not alone. "Mr. Potter," a smooth voice said.

_Oh no_, Potter thought. _Him again._

Connor McCord emerged from one of the supply closets located to rear of the hospital wing. He was tall and skinny, with long fingers and a short goatee. _Reminds me a bit of Snivellus_, Potter thought. Unlike his Slytherin rival, however, McCord had followed the Dark path to its logical conclusion.

"How'd you get in here?" Potter said. "Last time I saw you, you were fleeing the wrath of Professor McGonagall. She doesn't like people trying to woo students to the service of You-Know-Who; she especially doesn't like rogue Gryffindors."

McCord snorted. "We Gryffindors love to throw ourselves at challenges, Mr. Potter. And getting into Hogwarts when the Aurors are authorized to kill is a big one. The elves ought to watch the medical supplies — some of the might be Portkeys."

_There he goes again._ McCord was a few years older — he was a Gryffindor prefect when Potter and his friends had arrived at Hogwarts — and from a renowned family of big-game hunters. _His father and brother kill dragons for the Ministry, dragons that linger too close to Muggle areas._

"You fancy yourself a hunter, I imagine. I don't see much sport to go around murdering people and fleeing when the Aurors show up," Potter said. "Reminds me all too much of a Slytherin."

McCord scowled. "Slytherin is mutinying," he hissed, the old House rivalry clear in his voice. "That blood traitor Snape is rallying the others to his banner. We expected a fine crop of Death Eaters this year and for the next few years, but that little Mudblood lover has thrown a wrench in all that…"

Potter bared his teeth. "Don't use that word!" he snarled.

McCord give him a sick smile. "Still upset about Evans? I wonder if she and the blood traitor are snogging right now…"

Potter forced the disgusting image out of his mind. "I don't know what Lily is thinking, dating that snake, but if she likes him, that's her business. I don't like Snape much, but you will _not_ insult Lily in my presence."

McCord shook his head. "You ought to be more respectful, considering how I'm in perfect health and you're…not. Still, I'll play along with your little game. The Dark Lord wanted you even when you were dating…Evans. He was prepared to leave her alive, to permit her to become a Death Eater even, if you would join up. Not sure what use we'd have for a Muggle-born in our circle — perhaps she could fix us lunches — but that's none of my business."

He looked straight at Potter. "Free of that Mudblood encumbrance, you are even more valuable to the Dark Lord. With a proper Pureblood wife, you can father plenty of Pureblood children, not the dubious Half-Bloods you'd have if you married Evans."

Potter looked at McCord in horror. "Is that all witches are to you and your master? Sows for breeding?"

"Hardly," McCord said acidly. "One reason we're better than the Muggles is unlike them, we don't oppress our women. It's just there aren't enough Purebloods left to bring back the old days, when the oldest families — including yours, I might add — governed the wizarding world and kept the Muggles firmly in their place."

"It's not our place to keep anyone in their place," Potter retorted. "We have no right to rule over Muggles."

"We're a superior race, Potter!"

"No, we're not. They may lack magic, but they've more than made up for it with their technology."

"Toys," McCord said disdainfully. "They lack elegance."

_True._ Airplanes were loud and noisy and much less fun to fly in than flying a broom. However, that didn't mean Muggles were inferior. _They're just…different._

"The time has come to make a choice, Mr. Potter. I have asked you before. Will you join the Dark Lord?"

There was only one possible response. "Never."

McCord shook his head. "The Dark Lord is most disappointed. He wants all the Pureblood families on his side and, thus far, the Potters have evaded him." He shook his head. "Perhaps more…direct…methods will be required."

At the sound of the word "direct," Potter grabbed for his wand, but McCord was faster. The wand jumped away from Potter's hand, landing on the floor a few feet away, and thanks to his injuries, Potter couldn't get to it quickly.

"The Potters will serve the Dark Lord!" McCord hissed. "One way or another!"

He stabbed at Potter with his wand and the Gryffindor felt every nerve in his body ignite, waves of burning pain travelling up and down his limbs. The Cruciatus Curse! He'd felt it before, in battle with the Death Eaters the previous summer, but never to this extent.

Potter suppressed a scream. _I won't give the wanker the pleasure._

"Crucio!" McCord hissed. "You…will…break!"

The pain intensified and Potter felt tears running down his face. _I won't scream._ He grit his teeth and tried to think of a way out of the problem.

He remembered Ian Jewell teaching the members of the Order how to use the Summoning Charm without the use of a wand, the charm that helped Snape defeat him so long ago. He'd fumed inwardly at the man who helped his Slytherin rival nearly kill him, but it was a useful skill to have, so he swallowed his pride and learned.

Potter summoned his strength, overcoming the muscular spasms that the Cruciatus Curse generated, to make the proper gestures.

_Accio! _ The wand leaped into his hand. _Stupefy!_ McCord broke off his attack, rolling to the side to avoid the burst of red light. He snatched up his wand as Potter stumbled out of the bed.

"Dumbledore's dog knows some tricks," McCord sneered. "Impressive."

"I'd expect more from a Gryffindor that assaulting an injured man in his bed," Potter said as he approached. He hurt all over but kept his eyes locked on the Death Eater.

"It was easier. You were alone," McCord hissed. "I'll beat you properly, on your feet."

"Potter, what are you doing out of bed?" Madame Pomfrey said. McCord's blue eyes leaped onto matron as she came in.

"Is that Mr. McCor…" McCord Stunned her before she could finish her sentence.

"She's too valuable to kill, even if she is a blood traitor," McCord said. "She'll be a valuable asset to Hogwarts once the Dark Lord takes control and throws all the Mudbloods out."

That word sent rage swimming through Potter's veins.

_Confringo. CONFRINGO!_ The two bursts of silver light slammed into McCord's Shield Charm with no apparent effect.

McCord smirked. "Perhaps you're not as powerful as the Dark Lord thought. Perhaps I'll kill you now, and he'll reward me for destroying a member of the Order of the Phoenix."

Potter threw himself to the side as McCord stabbed with his wand. Instead of the expected jet of green light, the bed exploded beside him. _The Reductor curse. He's still not trying to kill. Two can play at that game._

Ignoring the pain from his bruises and newly-healed ribs, Potter rolled, firing a stream of Reductor and Blasting curses at the Death Eater. McCord cast the Shield charm again and again, but the rain of curses sent him crashing onto one of the beds.

His body shrieking in pain, Potter leaped on top of him and sent the bed — which it turned out had wheels — rolling towards the door.

The bed slammed into the door and Potter heard the wood crack. Beneath him, McCord glared and threw a Blasting Curse at the door, blasting it open and sending them and the bed rolling away. Another curse and Potter flew off the Death Eater, knocking over a table.

"I've got you now," McCord gloated. Potter noticed the rogue Gryffindor didn't have his Shield Charm up.

_CONFRINGO!_

The resulting blast sent McCord flying out the open doors into the corridor.

January 31st, 1978 AD

4:35 PM

The man on the floor moaned, coming to at last.

"The Cruciatus Curse," McGonagall said. "And not an Auror. It's Azkaban for you."

The man on the floor moaned louder.

Snape raised an eyebrow. _The Aurors are using the Cruciatus Curse now?_ This was interesting, but unsettling. He knew that Avada Kedavra was an extremely effective war-spell and Imperio could be used to force Death Eaters to surrender, talk, or, if the spellcaster was particularly skillful, perform specific tasks, but what purpose did the Cruciatus Curse serve?

He looked at the haggard, tired-looking Potter. _You deserve pain_, he thought, remembering all the times the Marauders had assaulted him or mocked him, _but not for the choice you just made_.

"Some Gryffindor you are," McGonagall continued. "Sneaking around, cursing injured students in their beds."

McCord spat on McGonagall's shoe. "Sneaking back into Hogwarts when I know I could be killed on sight is a brave thing, Professor."

"A mad thing," she retorted.

McCord glowered. Then his wand leaped back into his hand. Snape raised an eyebrow. _I guess Ian, Potter, and I aren't the only ones who can do the wandless Accio._

"I'll take you with me! Avada Kedav…"

He didn't finish his sentence. Snape quickly brought his foot down onto McCord's head, slamming him facefirst into the stone floor. His wand, pointed at Professor McGonagall, dropped from his suddenly-nerveless fingers.

"Excellent work, Mr. Snape! Sixty points for Slytherin."

Snape smiled. "Thank you, Professor McGonagall."

The head of Gryffindor House swept her wand downward and Petrified McCord. "This will avoid any further unpleasantness," she said. McGonagall waved her wand again and a pair of ethereal cat patronuses jumped onto the ground. They dashed off in opposite directions.

"Mr. Snape, be a dear and take Mr. McCord to the courtyard. The proper authorities will be along shortly."

"Yes ma'am." _Levicorpus. Mobilicorpus_. McCord's frozen body lifted off the ground. Behind him, Snape could hear McGonagall bustling off. _Probably has to deliver a report on what just happened. Hopefully this will lead to better security around the place._

"Snape," Potter said behind him. Snape turned. _If he's going to insult me, I'm going to smack him._

What Potter said next made his jaw drop.

"Thanks, Snape. If you hadn't been quicker, Professor McGonagall might have been killed."

Snape barely restrained his jaw from dropping. "Y…you're welcome."

Potter smiled. "Now that this hubbub is over, I've got to get back to my beauty rest, I think."

He limped back into the shattered infirmary with Mary in tow, leaving Snape alone with the injured Death Eater.

_Better get this one moving._

January 31st, 1978 AD

7:05 PM

"He thanked me," Snape said after he'd recounted the earlier episode to Lily. "He _thanked_ me."

"What do you expect? You saved the life of the Head of our House." She leaned forward and kissed him. "Good job."

Snape felt a goofy grin spreading across his face. Despite the joy that physical contact with Lily brought him, the paradigm shift still bothered him.

"He _thanked_ me. The last time anything like this happened was when Avery and Mulciber picked a fight and I stopped both of you from rushing into the Portkey. And he didn't think me; he only thanked you for explaining why."

"Potter's gotten a lot better these last couple of years," Lily said. "Other than that…incident, he hasn't hexed any other student without provocation."

_That incident was bad enough_.

"And I haven't heard any reports of 'mysterious wild animals' either. Before we had our little chat, there were rumors about animals roaming Hogsmeade and the grounds in the middle of the night, but I haven't heard anything in months."

_Good._ Thanks to Potter and Black, Lupin had nearly had him for dinner and Lily for afters and Snape did _not_ approve.

"It could be that he's finally grown up."

_It could be._ Much as it galled Snape to say something remotely nice about his old rival, he couldn't dismiss any possibilities.

"Let's hope so."

_Yes. Let's._


	31. Good News and Bad News

Good News and Bad News

**Good News and Bad News**

By Matthew W. Quinn

February 21st, 1978 AD

5:30 PM

"So what's this good news that you wanted to share with me?" Severus Snape asked. He and Lily Evans sat on a rock in their little cove, looking out over the ice-covered lake.

"Do you remember the Christmas before last?" Lily asked.

_Yes, I do. _ He didn't particularly want to talk about it — after all, that was when Potter had come to visit her and that particular chapter in their lives still caused him pain — but he did remember.

"And do you remember the spell I used to help you clean up your house?"

Snape raised an eyebrow. "Yes. Let me guess — Dumbledore's going to include it in next year's curriculum."

Lily smiled. "Yep. It's the Zoopurgius Charm. Flitwick's excited, said his students would love it. The incantation is Zoopurgo."

_Not an elegant name or incantation, Snape thought, but an exceedingly useful spell._

He decided to try it out on their rock.

_Zoopurgo!_

A magical wind blew across the surface of the stone, sliding around him and Lily to gather the dust and dirt that had gathered in crevices. As the dust collected, it took the form of a swarm of insects that scattered onto the icy surface the lake and vanished into cracks.

"Cool."

Lily smiled and rested her head on his shoulder. "Yep."

The two of them sat leaning against each other, looking out over the frozen lake, until it was time for dinner.

February 21st, 1978 AD

9:30 PM

Evan Rosier and his gaggle of would-be Death Eaters had been relatively quiet lately — even aspiring terrorists needed to do well on their N.E.W.T.s — but Snape could feel the tension in the Slytherin common room when he arrived that evening.

Rosier and Regulus Black sat on one sofa, the former with his feet propped up on the ornate table that lay in front of the sofa. Allen McIntosh and Anne Caryl sat opposite them. All four of them had their noses buried in their books but glanced across the table at their rivals whenever they thought the others weren't looking.

_I bet they sat down at roughly the same time and neither wanted to leave first. Being the first to leave means a loss of face._

"Evening, Allen, Anne," Snape said.

"Evening, Severus," McIntosh replied. Snape nodded to Rosier and Black, who scowled back.

"You must be in a good mood, Mudblood lover," Rosier said. "You and Evans shag yet?"

Snape scowled. _Not until we're married._ It was a little early to think of such things — his own parents had married too quickly, thinking Tobias was going to be deployed back to Kenya, and _that_ certainly hadn't worked out — but it was certainly a happy possibility.

"Shut up, Rosier."

The other Slytherin rose to his feet. "Why don't you try to make me, Snape?"

"Haven't you learned not to challenge me, Rosier? Do I need to teach you another lesson?"

Snape idly flicked his wand, slashing through Rosier's robes but avoiding his flesh.

Rosier scowled. However, Snape noted, he did not retaliate. _The wanker has learned his lesson, I think._

"You won't be the stronger one forever," Rosier said. "I've got a powerful friend now, who can teach me Dark Magic you can only dream of."

_Dark Magic that you can only dream of. _ That phrase sounded familiar.

Snape raised an eyebrow. "You seem fond of bragging, Rosier. Why don't you tell us who this friend is?"

Rosier smiled in the manner a cat toying with a mouse might if it were capable of smiling. "Maybe I'll let you figure that one out on your own." He looked thoughtful for a moment. "I'll give you a small hint. He's one of the Dark Lord's most powerful servants."

McIntosh and Anne looked a bit uneasy, while Black smiled evilly. Snape scowled.

_Must find out more. If he means what I think he means, this could be bad._

"Come with me, please," Snape hissed, voice hard as iron and cold as ice.

"Like hell."

Rosier grabbed for his wand, but Snape seized his wrist. He jammed his thumb into Rosier's flesh, searching for the right spot.

Rosier's wand fell from nerveless fingers.

"Come along," Snape hissed. He dragged Rosier out of sight of the others and cast Muffiliato, hiding their conversation from prying ears.

"What exactly did you mean by that? Who's training you?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Rosier spat.

_Oh well. Only one way to find out._ He'd been reading extensively on the subject these last few months, but he'd only tested his powers on the small minds on the animals that roamed the Hogwarts grounds, never on a live human.

_Legilimens!_

Snape forced his mind into Rosier's

July 10th, 1976

3:30 PM

Rosier knelt before Lucius Malfoy.

"You seek my training and counsel?" the older man asked. "You are not the first. I hope that you don't disappoint me like the last one did."

"Who was it who disappointed you, sir?"

An expression of disgust crossed Malfoy's face. "Severus Tobias Snape. He was once one of my most devoted pupils, who hung on my every word and learned eagerly."

Malfoy's look of disgust deepened. "Then he betrayed the cause, assaulted a fellow Death Eater to be, for the sake of a _Mudblood_."

He looked pointedly at Rosier.

"You won't betray the cause, betray _me_, for the sake of a Mudblood, will you?"

"No sir."

Malfoy smiled. "Excellent."

February 21st, 1978 AD

9:32 PM

Once Rosier was able to get over the shock, he was able to marshal his mental defenses and force Snape out of his head.

_Impressive_, Snape thought. _A much better Occlumens than I expected._

"What the hell!" the would-be Death Eater half-shrieked. "You're a Legilimens!"

Snape allowed himself a small smile. "Glad to see Defense against the Dark Arts hasn't been wasted on you, Rosier. You can recognize it when someone else invades your mind."

Rosier scowled. "What did you see?"

Snape snorted. "You expect an honest answer?"

Rosier's scowl deepened. "Well, I could easily let it slip you're an unauthorized Legilimens. I think the Ministry would not be happy with you."

Snape's dark smile grew wider. "If it comes down to examining someone's memories, I think that the Ministry would be more interested in what they find in yours than in mine, _Death Eater_."

Rosier scowled. _Got you there._

"You're a fine one to talk, Snape. You wanted the Mark as much as I did."

_True._ "Perhaps. But that doesn't matter now."

Rosier's blue eyes locked with Snape's dark ones. His lips peeled back in a cruel snarl.

"You've made your choice, Snape, and it was the wrong one. Someday, I'll sit on a Muggle-skin throne with Mudbloods as my slaves, while you will die screaming beneath the Dark Mark. Enjoy your pre-eminence while it lasts."

Rosier turned and stormed away. Snape watched him go, gears turning in his head.

_He's probably going to continue lying low. Best keep an eye on him. He knows better than to assault me or my friends, but he might have other tricks up his sleeve._

And he had Malfoy to train him now.


	32. Giants

Giants

**Giants**

By Matthew W. Quinn

**Author's Note: **Thanks to Maliaphire and jen3572005 for asking what happened to Sarah. She was originally going to feature in some of the earlier chapters, but things didn't work out.

March 18th, 1978 AD

4:30 PM

Severus Snape lay on a sofa, his feet up. His copy of the _Guide to Advanced Transfiguration_ sat propped up against his knees and his head rested in Lily's lap. She would periodically toy with his hair, but most of her attention was devoted to her copy of the Transfigurations text.

"Severus," John Anderson said from another sofa. "Something here doesn't make sense to me."

Snape raised an eyebrow. "History of Magic or Potions?" Anderson was taking his N.E.W.T.s in both. Pretty much everyone in his small group of friends had dropped History of Magic like a hot potato, everyone except Anderson.

"Potions," Anderson said. "I'm confused about the Scintillating Solution."

"The Potion that makes one witty?"

He nodded.

"The N.E.W.T. from a few years ago has a question about stirring the ground scarab beetle. Apparently you need to stir the mix seven times while adding the beetle parts. Why seven times specifically?"

"Well," Snape began. "I'm not really sure. I usually stir until the beetle's dissolved." _Which might take as few as four stirs or as many as ten, depending on the thickness of the beetle._ He pondered for a moment._ That's the downside of being intuitive at Potions — it's so bloody hard to explain._

"I think I know the answer," Allen McIntosh said.

McIntosh was a late addition to the study group. The Gryffindors — Lily excepted — had been skeptical of including another Slytherin, but the younger student's earnestness had won most of them over.

Except for Mary Macdonald. She sat in a nearby chair, pointedly ignoring McIntosh.

_I suspect she's the more typical Gryffindor_, Snape thought. _The fact that she and Potter are an item probably doesn't help._

"Scarab beetle has got mind-altering properties. That's why it's used in Wit-Sharpening Potion. Just how it affects the mind depends on the other ingredients involved. I would imagine you need to stir it that many times to be sure the beetle's bonded with the other ingredients."

"Thanks," Anderson said. "I've got another question…"

A screaming siren interrupted him.

"What the hell?" Snape said, sitting up suddenly and nearly knocking Lily's book aside with his head. _Another Death Eater attack?_

The group scrambled out into the halls, where they were confronted by a silvery cat Patronus.

"A group of giants have been spotted near the castle," the Patronus said, speaking with the voice of Minerva McGonagall. "Sixth and seventh year prefects are to gather as many fifth-year and above students as they can and go to the battlements; the fifth-year prefects are to collect the younger students and take them to their common rooms."

_Giants? Bugger._ Hogwarts was pretty far away from the inhabited areas, so the giants were a regular threat. Thus far, they'd been far away, fighting the Ministry in other parts of the Highlands and even the isolated parts of the Lowlands. The _Daily Prophet_ hadn't mentioned anything about giant incursions into the region around Hogwarts, although it had mentioned giant attacks near Perth, Crieff, and Coupar Angus, attacks that had been beaten off with heavy losses.

_We're astride one of their lines of retreat back to the Loch country. Damn and blast._

"All right, everyone," he heard Lily say. "All of us are of the proper age, so let's head up. We can collect others along the way."

_Good girl._ While he was ruminating, she was taking action.

They made their way through the corridors and out onto the battlements. Several students had already lined up along the edge, wands out and eyes searching for the distant threat.

"This area looks adequately defended. Let's go up there." She pointed up the stairs to a relatively empty section of the battlements.

Lily lead the way, with Mary and Anderson close behind. As he ascended the stairs behind them, Snape nearly collided with another student making her way down.

_Sarah._

Things had gotten better in the year since their relationship had failed. However, they'd interacted very little — when he and Lily had gone with the Ravenclaws to a concert in Hogsmeade the last Hogsmeade weekend, they'd barely said ten words to each other.

"Hey," he said, trying to be diplomatic.

"Now is not the time, Severus," she said. She and two other Ravenclaws filed past him.

_I wonder where they're going?_

Sarah turned around. "McGonagall wants us to join the defenders at the Astronomy Tower," she said. Then she and her friends vanished into the corridor.

Snape raised an eyebrow. _She must be practicing her Legilimency. Or perhaps she doesn't want me to think that she and her friends were running away._

He shrugged. There were more pressing issues to deal with. He ascended the stairs and took a position beside Lily. He squinted. In the distance, a mile or more away, he could see the giants.

There were twenty or thirty of them, the largest and most confident-looking of them wearing elaborate Goblin-made armor. The lesser giants wore cruder armor, less elaborate or even made of cast-off Muggle metal — one of them had a helmet that looked like it had been fashioned out of a car boot lid — but were still formidable.

One of the larger giants cast a glare at Hogwarts and shook a huge fist at the castle. Another one waved what could have been a wand, only it looked more like a small tree.

_Is that a club or a wand?_ He knew Hagrid could do magic, but Hagrid was half-giant and his father was a wizard. _Given the giants' dislike of wizards, it's likely they'd distrust a giant who could wield magic. If that one's a giant-wizard, he's probably trying to prove himself. _For a moment, he thought about the Half-Bloods and the occasional Muggle-born of House Slytherin. He frowned. _This is not the time._

Other giants waved their weapons at the castle. One of the biggest giants, armored like a medieval knight, roared and set off towards the walls. The other giants followed.

Snape could hear moans of dismay echoing among the students on the walls. _Most of them have never seen war before._ He had, although a duel among wizards did not compare to an attack by giants. His dark eyes locked onto the lead giant and he calculated the best targets for Sectumsempra. _Giants are tougher than human wizards, able to shrug off Stunners. I'd need to apply Sectumsempra for a long time to penetrate all the way through._

"You know," Regulus Black said from somewhere down the line. "If we didn't have to keep them away from the Muggles, restricting their range so they fight over territory, the giants wouldn't hate us…"

"Shut up, Black," Snape hissed. "This is not the time for political agitation."

"Bugger off, Snape," Black snapped back. "Just trying to explain the root causes of the situation…"

"Propagandize for the Dark Lord some other time, you git. You wouldn't want the Aurors to see, would you?"

Snape pointed to a pair of wizards on brooms floating above the castle, Aurors who had been posted to the castle after McCord's infiltration.

The younger Black shut up very quickly.

Behind the line of students, Snape could feel the approach of a Patronus. "Aim for the heads if they come within one thousand feet of the walls," McGonagall's voice ordered. "Don't attack them before that point. This may be a feint."

The Aurors swooped down over Snape's head and soared parallel to the castle walls. Snape could see green energies crackling around their wands.

_They're preparing to cast the Avada Kedavra_. He'd never seen the servants of the Ministry use Unforgivables before and was curious.

_And a little envious. I see no problem with using the Killing Curse in self-defense, but the Ministry has to authorize it._

As the Aurors crossed the space between the giants and the castle, the leading giant roared in rage and charged. The Aurors darted backwards.

Snape raised an eyebrow. _Aurors, running away?_

Then the Aurors struck. Two jets of green light and the leading giant fell dead, mere feet short of their brooms.

_Ah. They needed space._

The other giants recoiled. _The death of their leader must have unnerved them._ A moment later, the giants turned away from the castle and began marching away towards the north.

The Aurors flitted away from the retreating giants, only to stop in midair.

_What's going on?_

The Aurors spun and darted back towards the giants. Snape saw the green light again and knew what was coming.

_They're going to kill them anyway._ None of the giants had ranged weapons — it would be more a slaughter than a battle.

Jets of green light struck down the giants in the front of the group, causing those behind to trip over their corpses. The giants roared and charged the flying wizards, who darted out of the way when their enemies drew near. The Aurors jetted upwards, safely out of range, and hurled more Killing Curses.

The giants scattered, fleeing across the green lands outside the castle. Snape didn't rate their chances of survival highly — the grounds outside were flat and the Aurors had brooms. The Aurors swopped over the giants, casting Killing curses and striking the big creatures down almost casually.

Only the giant that Snape might be a wizard was left. The creature waved its weapon at one of the Aurors, who floated a dozen yards over the creature's head, well out of reach.

The Auror cursed. The giant fell dead, but not before hurling its club in one last gesture of defiance.

_I guess it wasn't a wizard after all._ The Auror dodged out of the way, although air displaced by the flying club buffeted him a little.

"Murder!" Regulus Black hissed. "They were retreating!"

_They'd only come back to kill again. And I suspect your outrage isn't genuine._

Many of the students cheered the death of the giants, particularly those Snape knew to be Muggle-borns.

_The old stories about grinding bones to make one's bread were not entirely made up_, he noted. _Many of the giants have been living up to their reputations, at least as far as Muggles are concerned._

Snape noticed Lily did not join in the cheering. Instead, she stared at the Aurors floating over the band of giants they'd just massacred. He touched her arm.

"You all right?"

"I'm fine, Sev," she said, a hint of annoyance in her voice. Beneath her crossness, Snape could detect a hint of sadness.

_It was necessary_, he thought. _The giants would have likely committed massacre elsewhere, where there aren't wizards on brooms to stop them._

Still, the Aurors had devastated the giants casually, almost thoughtlessly. Snape knew that Dumbledore opposed the Ministry's policy on dealing with rebellious giants — he said that killing entire tribes would leave the giants with nothing to lose and that would be dangerous — and knew that Lily admired the Headmaster in the way most Gryffindors did.

_He might be wise_, Snape thought. _It'd be best to encourage defections._

The students began drifting off. Lily stayed, eyes locked on the scene of slaughter.

"You sure you're all right?"

She turned to face him. "I know what giants are capable of — I read the _Prophet_ too — but this, this was so _brutal_."

"War is brutal. Had they breached the walls, they'd have been just as cruel."

She sighed. "I know."


	33. Black Family Values

Black Family Values

**Black Family Values**

By Matthew W. Quinn

**Author's Note: **The notion of Lily being Helen of Troy came from "Knight of Pentacles, Queen of Wands" by Jaderook. The notion of Muggles destroying the Earth came from another fan-fiction, although I cannot remember which one—it involved Lucius and Narcissa visiting Spinner's End and encountering a resurrected Snape there.

May 12th, 1978 AD

8:30 PM

Severus Snape was making his way back to the Slytherin common room when he heard two familiar voices locked in combat.

_It's Black…and Black._

The two of them were arguing in an empty classroom with the door shut.

_I wonder what they're fighting about._ Snape had never seen them interact very much before — Sirius was older and in a different House — and he'd heard that the elder Black moved out prior to coming of age due to ideological differences with the rest of his family.

He flattened himself against the wall and crept towards the door. If they'd warded the door, they must've done a poor job of it, since Snape could hear pretty much everything that was being said.

"Reg, listen to me, please. This isn't just a matter of family loyalty, it's a matter of right and wrong," Sirius Black said. Snape raised an eyebrow. The elder Black sounded almost as if he were _pleading_ with his younger brother.

_Black begging? Who'd have thought?_

"And the two aren't the same?" Regulus retorted. "You broke Mum's heart when you left. You reckless ingrate. No wonder you went Gryffindor."

The elder Black did not immediately respond. Snape wondered if the next sound he'd hear would be a fist striking or a curse being fired.

Instead, all Snape heard was a sigh.

"Leaving home wasn't easy, Reg. I didn't do it lightly. But what the rest of the family believes is just _wrong_, Reg. In Gryffindor, blood status doesn't matter, talent and daring do, and I've seen Muggle-borns with more of that than any Pureblood. Lily Evans, for example…"

"Oh great. The Mudblood…"

"Reg…" Black said, a note of warning in his voice.

"Fine. The Muggle-born. Whatever. A veritable Helen of Troy, that one. Everyone wants her and she ends up with the most unworthy one of all. At least Potter's a Pureblood."

_Unworthy one? I'll show him._

Sirius Black sighed. "Don't you get it, Reg? Being a Pureblood or Half-Blood or Muggle-born is nothing more than an accident of birth. It's character that matters, Reg, not blood."

Regulus Black was silent for a moment. "You speak of character. You still broke Mum's heart."

"It deserved to be broken," the elder Black hissed, and Snape could detect real hatred there. "Look at how she treats anyone who doesn't measure up to her exalted Pureblood criteria. Damn it, Reg, look at how she treats the House-Elves! When they're too old and fragile to carry her tea-tray, she kills them! _Kills_ them, Reg!"

"That may be, Sirius, but she's still our mother!"

"Hard to tell, given that she blasted my name off the family tree. And who'd want a mother who supports mass murder anyway?"

"She gave _birth_ to you, Sirius. She _raised_ you. You bloody ingrate."

Sirius Black sighed again. "There are degrees of wrongness. It's wrong to be ungrateful, but it's also wrong to support murder. These are thousands of Muggle-borns in Britain — a quarter of Hogwarts is Muggle-born, Reg — and _billions_ of Muggles."

"He doesn't want to see them dead, Sirius, just subordinated, like how things used to be. Look at how the Muggles behave anyway, killing each other and breeding out of control and destroying the planet. It's for their own good." Regulus Black paused. "And I don't see how anything you say on morality can be taken seriously. You abandoned the family, broke Mum's heart. If you don't even honor your parents, what can you honor?"

"Fine then. Much as it galls me to say this, if you won't listen to me, listen to Snape. He's a Slytherin like you."

"Snape? The blood traitor? He's just like foolish Andromeda — he let his personal feelings blind him to the greater good of the wizarding world." He snorted. "This is rich, you taking his side. I remember him coming back to the common room bloody or covered in mud or hexed into something unspeakable because of you and your gang."

_True_. He didn't recall those times with relish. And Regulus Black didn't know the worst of it — thanks to the elder Black, Snape had nearly been wolf food.

"I didn't know he was going to break with Avery and Mulciber then. I thought he was going down to the Dark path."

"Avery and Mulciber are better men then you are, Sirius. At least their honor their families, their traditions."

A long silence passed. "Damn it, Regulus, enough of this. You walk the path you want, but don't come crying to me when you end up in Azkaban or dead."

Sirius Black stormed to door and slammed it open. Snape was unable to suppress a tiny yelp when the door nearly hit him in the face. That yelp alerted Sirius Black to Snape's presence.

The Gryffindor, face wild with pain and grief, seized Snape by the collar and shoved him up against the wall.

"NOT. A. WORD. TO. ANYONE."

Snape could see that he was angry, perhaps angry enough to forget Lily's blackmail.

_Time to grovel._

Snape nodded quickly.

"Good."

The elder let go and sent him crashing to the floor before storming off.

Snape watched him walk away. He'd never had a brother or sister, so he didn't know how it would feel to experience such a rupture. The closest thing he could imagine to that kind of pain would be if he and Lily, who'd known each other for half their lives, had broken up for good.

_And Black's comments about his mother…_

Snape loved his mother, even he recognized that she'd made a poor decision in marrying Tobias. He wondered what would happen if she rejected him the way Walpurga Black apparently did to her Gryffindor son.

_That would hurt._ Sirius Black had been second only to Potter in treating him badly and had even tried to feed him to Lupin, although Lily told him that Black had restrained Potter from attacking him after he'd broken with Avery and Mulciber.

He sighed inwardly. _Lily always comforted those who were feeling poorly, especially me. She'd want me to do the same for others._

"Black," Snape said.

Sirius Black turned around.

"What?" he said, voice harsh.

"Is…is there anything…"

He looked at Snape oddly for a long moment. "No. If he won't listen to his own brother because he's a 'blood traitor,' he won't listen to you. Thanks for giving a damn."

Black turned on his heel and disappeared down the corridor.

_Well, that's done with now._

Snape thought for a moment. _I wonder where Regulus is._ He didn't see him leave the room.

Snape flattened himself against the door and slowly peeked inside.

The younger Black stood at the window, staring out at the waning moon. Snape could only see one hand; the other was pressed up against his face.

_Is he…?_

Snape listened.

_He is._

Regulus Black, Quidditch star and fierce would-be Death Eater, was crying.

Snape barely restrained his jaw from dropping.

_That's not something you see every day._

Snape crept away, very carefully. He'd need time to think about the ramifications of _this_.


	34. Graduation Day

Graduation Day

**Graduation Day**

By Matthew W. Quinn

June 25th, 1978

10:30 AM

The academic hell of N.E.W.T.s was over and the Hogwarts Class of 1978 was gathering its things and preparing to depart.

Severus Snape packed his trunk and had it floating down the stairs from the Slytherin boy's dormitory when the trouble started.

"So passes the Mudblood-loving disgrace to the name of Salazar Slytherin," Evan Rosier called out from the common room floor, sitting atop his own trunk. "Shall we lay bets as to how long you'll survive outside of Hogwarts?"

Snape locked eyes on Rosier. "I'd be more inclined to bet on how long you'll survive, Rosier. You're not half as tough as you think you are."

Rosier shrugged. "Perhaps. But now that I'm out of here, I'll be able to train with the Dark Lord full-time. I'll equal you, Severus Snape, and then I'll exceed you."

Snape smiled cruelly as he descended the stairs. "You'll try."

Above and behind him, Snape could hear someone else leave the Slytherin boy's dormitory.

"Guess who'll succeed you as ruler of the Slytherin House?" Regulus Black said. "Your little disciples will fall into my lap, or be ground underfoot."

Snape snorted. "I doubt it. Most of your friends will be graduating with you, while most of mine will still be here." He decided to rub it in a little. "I think someone like yourself, someone who cries in deserted classrooms when he thinks nobody else is listening, will find them hard to handle."

Snape smirked as Black paled. _I bet he didn't know that I know about that little episode._

Black's dismay soon turned to anger. "You eavesdropping little wanker," he hissed. "I ought to…"

He grabbed for his wand, only to freeze halfway there. Black fell onto his trunk with a ponderous thud.

"Good catch, Allen," Snape said. Allen McIntosh smiled and blew on his wand as though he were blowing smoke from a gun. Snape drew his own wand and cast Mobilicorpus. His eyes blazing with hatred, Regulus Black floated to the bottom of the stairs and Snape laid him on the floor with almost insulting gentleness.

_Finite incantatem._

"You…you blood traitorous git!" Black snapped as soon as he could move.

"Incompetent," Snape retorted. Ignoring Black's sputtering for a moment, he levitated his trunk.

"I think you should have the honor of leaving the common room first," Snape said to Rosier.

Rosier scowled, but levitated his own trunk. Once he was safely out of the common room, Snape made his way towards the door.

Behind him, he could hear Black and McIntosh sniping at each other.

_Good. He'll need to get used to this._

The last hiccup in the common room taken care of, Snape decided to make his way to Gryffindor Tower to see how Lily was doing. As Head Girl, he figured she'd be rather busy with the ceremonial duties, but those wouldn't begin until all the graduates were ready to depart.

When he arrived at Gryffindor Tower, he saw everyone congregated outside, happily engaging in conversation. For a long moment, he envied them — Gryffindor seemed to lack the internal conflicts and endless competitions for status that Slytherin had.

"Hallo, Sev!" Lily called out. Snape came over and they embraced. He noticed that this time, nobody rolled their eyes or made gag-me gestures.

_I guess I'm an honorary lion-cub these days. Mum would be most upset._

"Hallo, Snape," Remus Lupin said.

Snape restrained himself from raising an eyebrow. _Someone's being rather friendly. Are you feeling guilty about something today?_

"What are your plans after graduating?"

_Hmm…_

"Well," Snape said, not wanting to reveal too much to the ally of his longtime foes, "That depends on how well I did on my N.E.W.T.s. I've got good feelings on Potions and Defense." _If I make an E in Potions, Herbology, Transfiguration, Charms, and Defense against the Dark Arts, I could go the Healer route. That way I'd never be poor ever again._

Lupin nodded. "That's good."

"I'm pretty sure I did well on Transfigurations and Defense, at least," James Potter interrupted. "If I did well on all the N.E.W.T.s I took, I can apply for Auror training." He grinned.

_Braggart._

"Me too," Sirius Black said. He shrugged. "But there's no urgency."

_No surprise there — they're both loaded_, Snape thought. _They've got no need for jobs, at least not immediately._

"I took Potions," Peter Pettigrew said hesitantly. "And Charms too. Maybe I did well in that."

"One can always hope," Sirius Black said. "You apply for any jobs yet?"

"Well," Pettigrew began. "I did apply to an Apothecary based on my O.W.L.s."

Potter smiled. "I'm sure you'll snag a good position. In fact…"

The Gryffindor boy got a rather surprising interruption in the form of Mary Macdonald leaping onto his back. "Hallo, James," she said into his ear.

"Hallo yourself, Mary," he said. "You ready to go?"

She nodded.

Out of the corner of his eye, Snape could see Lily creeping up behind him. _Mary was always her best friend, besides me, and I suppose Lily doesn't want to be left out of the mayhem._

His cheeks preemptively reddened, but he was determined to be a good sport. He drew a breath.

Lily pounced.

Snape staggered. He wasn't as physically strong as Potter and it took all he had to avoid falling over. His face got redder as some of the bystanders laughed.

_Regardless of the old House rivalry, they're probably laughing with you, not at you_, he tried to tell himself. _It_ is _graduation day, after all. Time to put all this behind us as we go out into the world._

He restrained a snort. _Yeah right._

Amidst all the general giddiness, Lupin seemed subdued.

"You all right, Remus?" Lily asked, climbing off Snape.

Lupin sighed. "I had an interview scheduled with Kensington's, one of the textbook publishers, but they canceled it abruptly with no explanation." He lowered his voice so that only Snape and Lily could hear. "I think they found out about my furry little problem."

_No wonder he's depressed._ Such was the wizarding community's horror of werewolves that he doubted Lupin could find anything but the most degrading employment.

"Ouch," Lily said. "Have you got any backup plans?"

Lupin sighed again. "Well, I have applied for some other positions, but no bites so far. Even with my N.E.W.T.s, it looks like the best I'll be able to do is day labor, competing with house-elves for work, or temp stuff. I'll probably end up living in council housing."

Potter slapped him on the back. "Don't worry, Moony. If you need help, all you need to do is ask."

Lupin smiled. "Thanks, Prongs."

Soon after, everyone made their way to the Great Hall.

"Hallo, Severus," John Anderson said as they came in. "Excited to be graduating?"

"Yeah," Snape said. "What else could I…"

Then the wave of worries hit. He still needed to find a job, and life outside of Hogwarts was certain to be more dangerous, particularly that he was a member of the Order of the Phoenix. Rosier would be unrestrained by school discipline and his friends-turned-enemies Justin Avery and Michael Mulciber would re-enter the equation…

Anderson stepped closer and lowered his voice. "Is it about the Order of the Phoenix?" he asked.

Snape restrained his jaw from dropping. "I don't think I really…"

"Don't worry. I'm in it too."

_Good._ Snape was worried the only friend he'd have in the Order was Lily, since he'd never really made up with Ian Jewell before he graduated.

"Not so loud," he said. "If you're going to be a member of a secret society, you'll need to be able to keep certain things secret."

"Oh yeah. Good point."

He looked around. "Luckily Rosier and Wilkes aren't within earshot." The two wannabe Death Eaters stood on the other side of the teeming mass from Snape, Lily, Anderson, and the Gryffindors. They scowled upon seeing him looking in their direction.

_Good. If they've only just noticed, that means they weren't listening in._

"All right, ev'ryone!" Snape heard Rubeus Hagrid call out. "Graduates are te assemble in ter third car behind ter locomotive!"

Snape whistled. That was one of the nicer cars in the Hogwarts Express. The school wanted to give its students a good sendoff.

Lily came forward and took her place beside the Head Boy, Marcus Clearwater. Snape and the other 7th year prefects formed up behind them and together they led the graduates in a procession out of the Great Hall. Their luggage floating behind them or carried by the house-elves, the Hogwarts class of 1978 flowed behind the half-giant towards Hogsmeade Station.

June 25th, 1978

4:30 PM

The train back from Hogwarts arrived at Platform 9 ¾ and the flash of cameras nearly blinded Snape as he climbed down onto the platform, his trunk floating behind him.

Hundreds of overjoyed parents and siblings crowded the platform, cheering for their sons and daughters. As Snape's eyes crossed the platform, he spotted several people who he was pretty sure were Aurors.

_This_ would _be a very nice Death Eater target, wouldn't it?_

He searched the crowds for his parents. Although they were supposed to be in hiding, it would not be a major exertion for them to come to King's Cross, particularly if Eileen carried Tobias with her as she Apparated.

They weren't there. He scanned the crowd a second time to be sure, but they weren't there.

_Damn it._ He'd gotten used to his parents being too busy fighting or sulking on opposite sides of the house after finishing their fighting to pay him much attention. But this was bloody cruel.

His gazed wandered over to Potter and the elder Black, who were being affectionately greeted by the former's parents.

_They don't look well._ Mr. Potter, an older man in an even older-style suit with a Gryffindor tie, trembled a little as he walked, while Mrs. Potter looked like a hard enough wind would blow her over.

He turned his attention to the Evanses, who were burying their daughter beneath an avalanche of hugs and attention. Petunia was the least enthusiastic, but at least she was trying.

_Good._

Mrs. Evans detached herself from her family as soon as she spotted Snape.

"Welcome back, Severus," she said, wrapped him in a hug. "Congratulations."

After a moment's hesitation, Snape hugged her back.

"Thanks, Mrs. Evans."

Snape got a closer look at Mr. Evans over Mrs. Evans' shoulder. He was his usual lively self, but he also looked pale and drawn.

_Uh oh._

Before Snape could inquire, Mrs. Evans had already pulled back.

"Come on. Let's take pictures. Then we can go get something to eat."


	35. Music in Manchester

Music in Manchester

**Music in Manchester**

By Matthew W. Quinn

July 21st, 1978

3:45 PM

"So, how goes the job hunt?" Severus Snape asked as he entered Lily Evans' room and carefully shut the door behind him. Petunia Evans had let him in without too much snobbery on her part, but he didn't want her spying on them.

_She has been known._

"It's going nicely, Sev," Lily said. She hopped off the bed and came over to hug him. "I've gotten an interview for a company in London that conducts magical research and experimentation. They were very interested in the charm I invented."

Snape smiled. "Excellent, Lily. When is it?"

"Thursday. I've got a good feeling about it." She looked at him. "How about you?"

"Well, I've managed to get a couple of interviews next week with some Apothecaries in Oxford, Dover, and Diagon Alley itself, all on the basis of my O.W.L.s."

_Would be better to do it on the strength of my N.E.W.T.s, but they haven't arrived yet. Hopefully it won't be too long._ He definitely had good feelings on Potions and Defense, but Transfiguration and Herbology worried him a bit. If he did well in all of them, he could apply for Healer training at St. Mungo's or another wizarding hospital and that would be a good job for life.

"Hopefully I'll have a job by the end of the month."

_And not a moment too soon._ The local newspaper no longer needed his services — owing to the closure of two more mills, including the mill where Father last worked, there were fewer and fewer afternoon newspaper subscribers and one entire route had been eliminated. To make matters worse, the reward money for killing Mulciber Sr. was running low. He expected some money for Sectumsempra, but that wouldn't start coming in until the fall when the new books started selling.

"That's good, Sev." She paused for a moment. "Did you bring some of your records?"

Lily's parents had bought her a brand-new record player as a graduation gift and Lily had taken every opportunity to show it off.

Snape nodded. "Yep."

Something lit up in Lily's eyes. "I've got a record you might be interested in."

She turned around and fished in the top drawer of the nightstand by her bed. After a moment, she pulled out a record. Snape raised an eyebrow at the illustrations in the record's center.

They were moving.

_It's a wizarding record. The Flying Troubadours._

He'd never heard of the band before. His eyes dropped to the small picture of the band beneath the title. His heart skipped a beat as he recognized one of the musicians, a dark-haired dark-eyed young man with a guitar.

_Ian Jewell._

"Mary heard about this from John, who I assume, heard about it from Sarah," Lily said. "He doesn't just write songs, but he can play the guitar too."

_That's…interesting._

Lily set the record on her player and set the needle on a particular song. The first thing that Snape heard was the strains of a guitar.

_Wow._ He'd never really paid much attention to the elder Jewell's musical talent — he was closer to his sister and to Anderson, particularly after Jewell became Head Boy — and he marveled at what he missed out.

The two of them listened to the record for the next twenty minutes. The Flying Troubadours sounded a lot like an odd cross between the Muggle bands the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, only their lyrics almost entirely dealt with wizarding subjects and some of the band's instruments had no analogue in the Muggle world.

"Mary said that the Troubadours have sold over three hundred albums and they're getting invitations to play in clubs. She said that if they get any more popular, Ian is going to have trouble balancing his Healer training with the band."

_It would be the wiser course to stay with the training_, Snape thought. _Bands come and go._

"Your turn, Sev. What've you got?"

Snape fished in his schoolbag and pulled out his new album, _Black and White_ by the Stranglers. He placed it on Lily's record player, adjusted the needle, and soon the fast beat of "The Tank" started up.

"I like the sound of that," Lily said. She rose to her feet and began to dance.

"C'mon, Sev," she said. "Get up and dance."

Snape shook his head. "No thanks. I'm not really a dancer. I think I'll just sit down here and enjoy the view."

She stuck her tongue out at him. "Fuddy-duddy. I'll just have to dance by myself."

She danced by herself for a bit. Snape leaned back on his elbows and watched.

_Very nice_, he thought. With her long limbs and slender build, she moved like a natural dancer, almost as if she were more liquid than solid.

"The Tank" concluded and Snape moved the needle forward to the next song. The slower, more melodic strains of "Nice 'N' Sleazy" soon filled Lily's room.

Lily's movements slowed.

"Can't really dance to this," she said.

She fished her drawer and pulled out _It's a Game_.

_The Bay City Rollers_, Snape noted. _They're certainly peppier than the Stranglers._

She switched the records and started up the new one.

"The clown came down to meet me, with a smile upon his face. He fired his starting pistol and began the human race…"

"_It's a Game."_ He'd heard that on the Muggle radio. _One of their more popular songs._

Lily resumed whirling to the faster, more energetic music.

"C'mon, Sev. Nobody else is here and I promise I won't laugh."

"All right," Snape said after looking behind him to be sure the door was shut. _It wouldn't do to have Petunia see you make a fool of yourself._

He rose to his feet and stepped over to the space between Lily's bed and the window. She stepped forward and he took one hand in hers and rested the other on her back, in the formal style he had learned from Malfoy long ago.

Lily looked up at him with her big green eyes.

"You _do_ know how to dance!" Her gaze drifted down to his hands. "This is a formal style. Where'd you learn it?"

"Malfoy. He taught Avery, Mulciber, and me how to dance. Said in the circles we'd be moving in, we'd need to know things like that."

_Back when I was still on that path._

Lily's expression soured a bit. "Oh."

"It's been awhile," Snape said. He looked at the record player. "Might not be appropriate for this style, but I think I can manage."

_Given the speed of the music, I think the tango would be more appropriate than, say, the waltz._

"It's a game, it's a game, it's a game we're playing…"

The narrow space between Lily's bed and the window became their dance floor. Unfortunately, Snape was dreadfully out of practice and somehow their feet became entangled. They fell.

Part of Snape thought it might be cool to fall on Lily's bed, but another part of him thought that would be dreadfully improper, so they ended up on the floor. Lily ended up on top of him.

Snape turned red at this latest catastrophe, but Lily just laughed.

"That wasn't so bad," she said. She leaned down and kissed him on the forehead.

_Not so bad, you say?_

Snape smiled deviously at what he planned next.

"You see? You're smili…"

Then she yelped as one of Snape's hands found her left armpit and the other her right flank.

_Time for a tickle fight._

Lily wasted no timing fighting back and soon they were merrily rolling about, each trying their very best to drive one another mad.

Then Petunia screamed from downstairs.

"What the bloody hell is that!"

_Oh shit!_ Snape knew there was an Auror in the neighborhood, but Aurors could be killed or distracted. It had to be something pretty bad, to get the prim and proper Petunia to curse.

Both of them scrambled for their wands, a task made more difficult by their entangled limbs. By the time they'd gotten to their feet and had their wands ready, something was pushing its way through the closed door.

It was a silvery dog and Snape immediately recognized it as Sirius Black's Patronus. He and Lily both sighed in relief.

"Hey there Lily," the dog said in Black's voice. "Dumbledore said to tell you that the Order of the Phoenix is meeting tonight. It's at 7 PM in the basement of the Hog's Head Saloon."

"Oh lovely," Snape said. "_That place_." It was dingy and dirty and infested with all sorts of dubious people.

The Patronus looked at Snape. "Oh yeah, you're invited too. The Patronus would have gone to your house as well, but since you're already here, that's two birds with one stone. See you tonight. Hope I didn't interrupt anything _too_ salacious."

Then the Patronus winked at them and it disappeared.

Snape turned bright red. Lily saw his reaction and repressed a giggle.

"I don't see what's so funny."

"Sev, the Patronus is a recording. It just heard your voice and added the message meant for you. You don't need to worry about Sirius seeing anything he ought not."

Snape raised an eyebrow.

"James told me. He and Sirius joined the Order before we did, remember?"

_Ah. It just had to be _Potter_ of all people._

Snape repressed his jealousy. "Well, it's certainly good that he didn't get a glimpse of me actually _dancing_. I'd never hear the end of it."

Lily giggled. "You're not a bad dancer. You just haven't had much practice. C'mon."

She stepped forward and took his hands in hers.

"Let's practice some more."


	36. The War So Far

The War So Far

**The War So Far**

By Matthew W. Quinn

**Author's Note: **Happy Mother's Day to everyone to whom this applies (I'm thinking Mother of Tears and Duj, although there might be others).

July 21st, 1978

6:45 PM

CRACK! CRACK!

Severus Snape and Lily Evans materialized in an alley near the Hog's Head saloon.

Snape looked at his watch. "We're early."

Lily nodded. "Yep. Now to get there."

They walked over to the Hog's Head Saloon and went inside. Snape's eyes floated across the cramped establishment — which, he noticed, reeked of goats — but did not see any doors that looked like they led to the basement.

"I don't see anything," Snape said.

"Why don't we ask the barkeep?" Lily suggested. She pointed at the tall, grumpy-looking old man with bright blue eyes who was organizing glasses behind the bar.

"Good idea."

The two of them approached the bar.

"You must be looking for Albus," the old man said. "He's downstairs."

"Of that, we are aware," Snape replied. "The thing is…"

"We're looking for the entrance to the basement," Lily cut in. "We can't find it."

_Thanks, Lily._ Snape had the sinking feeling he might have said something insulting.

"The door's out back," the old man said.

"Thanks," Lily said.

Snape nodded and the old man nodded back.

He and Lily left the bar and made their way to the rear of the building. Hidden amidst a pile of junk was a small door.

Snape reached down and tugged on the door. It was unlocked and Snape opened it, then stepped back.

"Ladies first."

Lily smiled at him and ducked inside. Snape followed and the two of them made their way down a cramped, rickety staircase.

_Careful_. Snape put one foot in front of the other, sounding out each step before putting a second foot on it. Lily moved down the steps with more confidence.

_She's lighter than you, although not by much. She's less likely to fall through._

The two of them made it to the bottom of the stairs without incident and turned a corner.

"Boo!" someone shouted as they leaped into their path. Lily yelped and Snape immediately drew his wand.

_This would be bloody lovely, murdered by a Death Eater before the meeting even starts._

"Gotcha," Sirius Black said with a grin.

Lily laughed, but Snape scowled.

"Given the circumstances," Snape said. "That wasn't that funny."

Black snorted. "As usual, no sense of humor. In any case, welcome to the Order of the Phoenix."

"Thanks," Lily said. Snape merely nodded as the two of them stepped forward into the larger room beyond.

_I have landed in the lions' den._

If the people assembled in the room represented the Order of the Phoenix, the organization was most definitely Gryffindor-heavy. Snape recognized a good many Hufflepuffs and a smaller but still respectable number of Ravenclaws, but close to half the people in the room were Gryffindors.

His dark eyes probed the crowd. He recognized only one other Slytherin, Sam Danvers, who was three years ahead of him.

_Didn't really know him that well — he and Malfoy had a feud for some reason._

One of the Ravenclaws was none other than Ian Jewell, who sat on a bench near the corner and practiced his guitar.

"Ian!" Lily called out. He looked up and smiled.

"Hallo, Lily."

His dark eyes found Snape.

"Snape," he said, with a bit less enthusiasm.

_Jeez, if he's friendly with Lily, he knows I didn't do his sister wrong._

"Sev and I were just listening to your album. It was really good."

"Thanks."

Lily was about to say something else when a new voice caught their attention.

"Welcome, Mr. Snape and Miss Evans," Albus Dumbledore said.

Through the crowd, Snape saw a large table and seated at the head of the table was the Headmaster himself. Several people Snape did not recognize were seated next to him, but there were some empty chairs close by.

_He has exactly the same eyes as the barkeep_, Snape thought. _They're connected somehow._

"Thank you," Lily replied. She continued chatting with Jewell. Snape made his way to the table and picked out an empty seat, saving one next to him for Lily.

"Hallo," an older man with a strange, tall hat who was seated to Dumbledore's right, said. "My name is Elphias Doge. I'm an Auror."

He reached out his hand and, after a moment, Snape shook it.

"Pleased to meet you," he said.

Over the next few minutes, several more people filtered in. John Anderson was first, with James Potter, Mary Macdonald, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew coming in next. Two young Aurors, John Dawlish and Kingsley Shacklebolt, arrived after them, and last to come was a tall blond woman named Marlene McKinnon.

"The Longbottoms can't come tonight," she said. "They've been posted to Oxford to watch for Death Eaters there."

Once the last stragglers arrived, Dumbedore raised his wand and set several wards on the door. Lily took her seat before the older wizard began speaking.

"Now that we're all here," Dumbledore said. "I think we can begin the meeting. Shall we begin with the good news or the bad news?"

"I think, Albus, the good news," Doge suggested.

Dumbledore nodded. "Very well."

He gestured with his wand and an enormous floating image of Great Britain materialized over the table. Some reddish blotches scarred the far north of Scotland and the more rugged regions of Wales, but most of the islands were clear.

"The first good news is that the giants have been largely crushed. Fourteen giant tribes in Britain have been destroyed in their entirety" — Snape sensed regret in the old wizard's voice — "and twenty others have thrown themselves on the Ministry's mercy. Mercy that may be somewhat lacking, given the atrocities the giants have been implicated in."

_He's definitely not happy about that._

Snape's gaze crept over to Lily. She too looked horrified, her green eyes wide.

_Her too._

"The remaining giants are withdrawing to the coast and taking ship to Scandinavia and the Continent. Aurors are reducing their remaining strongholds one by one and, per the Ministry's directive, are taking no prisoners."

That was enough for Lily.

"Sir," she began.

"I am no longer your headmaster, Miss Evans. You may call me Albus, or Dumbledore, if you prefer."

"All right…Dumbledore. Did you say the Ministry is taking no prisoners?"

Dumbledore nodded sadly. "Yes, Miss Evans. I think the goal is drive them out of Britain entirely."

"But why?"

It was Dawlish who answered the question. "Not only are the giants among the most brutal of the Dark Lord's supporters — they have a tendency to grind Muggles' bones to make their bread — but their actions are the hardest to cover up. We can disguise a Death Eater attack as terrorism or a riot, but if we want to cover up a _giant_ attack, we need to suborn the Muggle weather services or scientists to get them to report it as a storm or earthquake."

Lily locked her green eyes on Dawlish. "The giants cannot _all_ be evil, Mr. Dawlish."

Dawlish sighed, his hard expression softening somewhat.

"We're at war, Miss Evans. There are no good options."

Lily scowled but did not argue more. A moment passed and Dawlish rose from his seat. He gestured with his wand and the red splotches vanished, replaced with a scattering of red dots corresponding with cities.

"On other fronts, we've destroyed Death Eater cells in Oxford, Dover, Birmingham, and Inverness. We've killed around a dozen of them and put twenty more in Azkaban. Several of those cells were involved in protection rackets, extorting money from honest businessmen to fund their operations."

"If that's the good news, what's the bad news?" Potter asked. "Sounds like things are going well so far."

Dumbledore sighed. "That news is that for every Death Eater we kill or capture, two more join the Dark Lord's ranks. They use the Imperius Curse to multiply their numbers, while others join because they're afraid of being murdered themselves or because they think that Voldemort is going to win."

Dawlish provided more information.

"We believe the current number of wizards serving Voldemort is in the neighborhood of 300, while total membership in the Order of the Phoenix is roughly 50," he said. "We have the numerical advantage if you count Aurors and Magical Law Enforcement, but we're spread too thin and the Death Eaters have the initiative most of the time."

Silence fell across the room.

"And although those extortion scams have netted thousands of galleons for the Death Eaters, we believe that most of the Death Eater funds come from powerful Pureblood families who want to turn back to the clock to when the old families governed our community."

_And I know one of them._

"Malfoy," Snape said. "Lucius Malfoy. The Malfoys are definitely one of those families."

Muttering ran up and down the table.

"We've suspected Malfoy for quite some time," Dumbledore said. "Unfortunately, we haven't gotten the proof the Wizengamot is willing to accept — only circumstantial evidence."

_Well damn._

"What sort of evidence will they accept? Once upon a time, when I was in his good graces…"

"Testifying that you attended a party or two at Malfoy Manor where there were known Death Eaters present will not be enough, Mr. Snape."

_Hmm. Ah. I've got one._

"Or that a few months after he told me the Death Eaters would kill my parents, three of them showed up at my house?"

Dumbledore shook his head. "Your word against his, I'm afraid."

_Double damn._

"However, there are benefits to not being able to reel him in immediately," Dumbledore said. "We can see who he sees and what he's up to, which will in turn give us leads on others whom we _can_ reel in."

_Hmm. That's a clever way to make the best of a good situation._

"As it stands," Dumbledore said after a moment. "Voldemort's power grows among the wizards, even if the giants have been largely suppressed. What are we going to do about it?"

A man who reminded Snape very much of an old dog leaned forward.

"Yes, Dung?"

_What a lovely name._

"By the way," Dumbledore said. "This is Mundungus Fletcher. He's a useful source of information about…certain quarters…of our society."

"Thanks," Fletcher said.

"The Dark Lord's been recruiting werewolves, promisin' 'em gold," the dirty-looking man said. "I think it might be a good idea to recruit some of our own."

Snape raised an eyebrow. He remembered the attack by Mulciber's werewolf quartet from some months before.

Dawlish snorted. "Let me guess. You want the Ministry to give you gold to hire _werewolf thugs_."

"Oy!" Potter said, anger in his voice. "Nothing's wrong with werewolves!"

Dawlish turned his attention to Potter. "Maybe you're partial to one werewolf, who perhaps is worthy of your kindness" — Lupin paled slightly — "But most of them these days are criminals. Might be better to let the Dark Lord use them as cannon fodder, thin them out a little bit."

"Thin them out!" Lily said. "You talk as if they weren't human!"

Dawlish scowled at Lily. "One might wonder about your loyalties, Miss Evans, given that this is your first Order meeting and you've already defended giants _and_ werewolves."

Snape leaned forward. _If you keep running your mouth, Dawlish, I'll curse your bloody tongue off._

"Enough of this!"

All eyes locked on Dumbledore.

"Voldemort is gaining more and more followers by exploiting the divisions in our society. We cannot squabble like this if we hope to win this war."

Dumbledore turned his gaze to Fletcher

"Tell us about your plan."

"Well," the man said. "The Ministry's probably got more money than You-Know-Who and his followers. If you gave me some gold, I could hire some of them myself and…"

Dawlish rolled his eyes. "Give _him_ gold? Albus, that would be dreadfully unwise."

"I am aware of Mr. Fletcher's strengths and weaknesses, Mr. Dawlish. Continue, Dung."

"And that means we'll have werewolf muscle ourselves, if we need it. I think we do, given You-Know-Who's boys outnumber us."

Dawlish leaned forward. "And what's to stop the werewolves taking the money and remaining loyal to Voldemort. More and more of them are following this fellow who calls himself 'Fenrir Greyback.' The man thinks himself the bloody werewolf messiah. Good luck wooing them away from _him_."

Fletcher leaned forward. "That's why we get 'em before they go over to him. And I can do more besides recruit werewolves — You-Know-Who's men are buying up Dark artifacts on the black market. If I can get to 'em first, I can get 'em into your hands, but I need _gold_ to do that, y'see…"

The debate went on for awhile and Snape found himself less and less inclined to pay attention.

"All right," Dumbledore said. "Dung, Dawlish, and I will discuss the matter further. Mr. Snape, Mr. Potter, Mr. Black, Mr. Lupin, and Miss Evans, I need the five of you to remain on-call for combat duty. Mr. Pettigrew, Mr. Jewell, I need you to remain on-call for medical work."

_On-call? It would be really awkward for a Patronus to arrive in the middle of a job interview, or if I'm spending time with Lily._

His cheeks burned a little when he remembered the arrival of Black's Patronus.

"Oh, and I need to teach Mr. Snape, Mr. Lupin, Mr. Pettigrew and Miss Evans how to use the Patronus as a means of communication. I will contact each of you individually."

July 21st, 1978

9:45 PM

"I can't believe they're giving all of the giants the choice between exile and death, Sev," Lily said as they climbed out of the Hog's Head basement. "That's wrong, Sev, _wrong_."

Snape drew in a breath. "We are at war, Lily."

_And bad things happen in war._

Lily looked at Snape. "You wouldn't like it if all Slytherin were held responsible for the actions of some members of the House, would you?"

_No, I wouldn't._

"Do you have a proper means of sorting the wheat from the tares, so to speak? It's hard enough to do that with the Death Eaters, given that the Dark Lord uses the Imperius Curse."

Lily frowned for a moment. "Well, I suppose the giants could be interrogated on an individual basis, the ones that have been captured. That would of course, require actually _capturing_ some instead of just massacring them."

Snape raised an eyebrow. _A practical plan, although it might need to be worked out further._ Idealism was well and good, but it did little good if it couldn't be applied.

"Let's hope there are still giants left in Britain by the time you can persuade the Ministry to change its policies."

"Yes. Let's."

Silence hung on the air for a long moment.

"Given that we're both on call, it would be prudent to practice dueling. Want to meet up tomorrow?"

Lily nodded. "Assuming Dumbledore doesn't need us to do something."

_True._

"It's unlikely he'll call on us to fight before he's taught us how to use the Patronus as a messenger," Snape said. "Tomorrow after lunch?"

"Sounds good to me." She smiled. "Good night, Sev."

Lily Disapparated and a moment later, Snape did the same.


	37. Duel in the Dark

Duel in the Dark

**Duel in the Dark**

By Matthew W. Quinn

August 16th, 1978

9:30 PM

Although Dumbledore had told Severus Snape, Lily Evans, and the Marauders that they were on-call for combat against the Death Eaters, it was nearly a month before Snape found himself called to war.

He had been sitting in the old reclining chair in Spinner's End, studying the copy of _The Book of Infernal Things_, when Frank Longbottom's tiger Patronus had crossed his threshold.

"You're on tonight, boy," the Patronus said in the Auror's gruff voice. "We've got a mission for you."

Snape set the book aside. "What sort of mission?" _The thing can't respond to you_, he reproached himself, but he tended to answer questions out of habit.

"A training mission, to start you out."

_I've killed a Death Eater, jackass. Not sure if Potter or Black can claim that honor, even if they've been in the Order longer._

The Patronus kept talking. "There's been a Muggle-killing in Oxford. We shut down the Death Eater operations there last month, but we don't have the manpower to garrison the place, so the bastards have been creeping back in. Meet me in front of the Muggle Natural History Museum."

_Oxford. Lovely._ Snape had not gotten all the N.E.W.T.s he needed to train as a Healer, but he had found a position in the Oxford Apothecary. He didn't want to potentially clue in the Death Eaters to where he was during the day.

But on the other hand, he didn't want Death Eaters in the same city he was during the day.

He rose and wrapped himself in his cloak, then snatched up the goblin-made Gurkha blade his father had given him.

_Time to make it clear that Oxford belongs to the Half-Blood Prince._

August 16th, 1978

9:32 PM

Snape Apparated behind the museum — hopefully out of sight of any Muggles — and made his way around to the front of the building.

Longbottom waited for him there, standing amidst the concrete casts of dinosaur tracks that littered the front lawn.

"The Death Eater was one of three. One of them's been apprehended, while the other managed to get away. The bastard's hiding out in the Parks. We've managed to cast Anti-Disapparition wards, but the last two members of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement who went in to get the bastard didn't come out."

"Bloody lovely," Snape said. "So you're going to send a part-timer in after him."

Longbottom snorted. "A part-timer who's killed a Death Eater. That puts you ahead of the bobbies, who mostly chase after the likes of Mundungus Fletcher. The Death Eater's been wounded, so he shouldn't be too much of a problem for someone like you. Go in there and get him — we prefer them alive, for the intelligence value — then send me a Patronus and I'll come fetch him."

"You won't be here?"

Longbottom snorted again. "The Death Eaters are active tonight. There's a suspected Muggle-killing in Leeds and another in Durham, plus a squad of the bastards've been cornered in Bristol. I've got my work cut out for me."

Without a goodbye, Longbottom Disapparated.

_He's in the Parks._ Snape drew a breath. _Time to roust the bastard._

August 16th, 1978

9:45 PM

Snape found the Death Eater's handiwork before he found the Death Eater himself.

A dead man wearing the uniform of a member of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement lay splayed out on a path leading into a thicket. He looked peaceful.

_The Death Eater must've ambushed him, used the Killing Curse. _

Snape eyed the thicket ahead of him. _I'm not going to make the same mistake as that poor sod did. Incendio!_

Flames leaped from his wand lit the bushes ahead of him on fire.

_Okay. Flush the bastard out and then Petrify him. Weaken him with blood loss if needed._

"Avada Kedavra!"

Snape instinctively threw himself to the ground at the sound of the incantation. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw bright-green death missing him by less than a foot.

_Sectumsempra!_ Snape slashed at the source of the attack — the thicket on the opposite side of the path from the flames — but cut only branches.

Somewhere in the dark, the Death Eater cackled.

"I've seen that spell before. You Jewell, the medic? They don't use him in battle much, but when he does come out to play, _damn_! He cut up Avery pretty bad, the last time."

_Ian's been using Sectumsempra?_ He thought for a moment. _Makes sense — Sarah learned it from me and he _is_ her brother._

Snape considered openly announcing his identity, perhaps as a means of goading the Death Eater to attack the "blood traitor," but decided against it. Should the Death Eater escape, he could tell the others that Snape was a full-blown member of the Order of the Phoenix and not a mere Slytherin dissident and that could have nasty consequences.

_Not just for you, but for Lily too._ _The Death Eaters like to go after friends and family, after all._

Snape cast Incendio again, igniting the other portions of the thicket. The Death Eater would have to come out and face him, or die.

That the Death Eater did.

"Avada Kedavra! Avada Kedavra!" the Death Eater roared, casting two Killing Curses in quick succession. The first one flew over Snape's head, but the first one slammed into the ground mere inches away.

Snape retaliated with a barrage of Petrification spells as the Death Eater emerged from the thicket. The Death Eater easily deflected them.

"They want you to take me alive, eh?" He snorted. "You'll be just as dead as those two."

While the Death Eater grandstanded, Snape got a good look at him.

The Death Eater was short and stocky and wore the typical black robes and mask. However, Snape could tell he'd been in battle and come out on the short end. The man dragged his left leg behind him and Snape could see large patches of blood on his dark trousers.

_Looks like a compound fracture. Perhaps several of them._

Obviously he could not use the Cruciatus curse to disable him with pain and Petrify him, but he had other options.

_Expelliarmus!_

The wand leaped from the Death Eater's hand and Snape took the opportunity to rise to his feet.

_Petrificus Totalis!_

Despite his injured leg, the Death Eater was able to get out of the way. He landed on the injured leg and his cry of pain managed to stab even Snape's desensitized heart.

Snape had no time to pity him — he'd gotten his wand back.

The Death Eater stabbed his wand at corpse behind Snape. Snape heard scraping and saw, out of the corner of his eye, the dead man rising to his feet.

_An Inferius!_

The Death Eater cackled.

"Let's see how you can do three-on-one!"

He stabbed with his wand into a darkened region of the path and Snape heard more scraping.

_Two Inferi and a Death Eater. Bad odds._ He'd faced the Marauders four-on-one before, but they were only interested in humiliating him, not seriously killing him.

Snape slashed at the nearest Inferius, opening a gash from the hip to the opposite shoulder. The creature kept coming and Snape realized his error.

_Sectumsempra's real damage comes from shock and blood loss. That won't work with them._

He thought back to Defense against the Dark Arts. _Fire works well against Inferi. Incendio!_

Fire leaped from his wand and enveloped the undead officer.

"Avada Kedavra!"

Snape leaped and felt something hot rip through his cloak. Shit!

He cast an array of Stunning and Blasting spells in the direction of the Death Eater. He heard another cry of pain and grinned. _That ought to keep the wanker busy._

Another Inferius, a Magical Law Enforcement officer whose head hung at an unnatural angle, emerged from the thicket.

_Incendio!_ The second creature ignited.

Then Snape felt heat behind him. The first Inferius, though injured, was still attacking.

A pair of too-strong dead arms wrapped around him, trapping his wand arm against him, and he felt teeth sinking into his shoulder and flames eating into his clothing.

He instinctively kicked at the Inferius's groin but realized that wouldn't work. However, he had other options.

His free arm leaped his belt and he drew the goblin-blade. He hacked at the creature's arm and the blade parted flesh like bread. The arm dropped away and Snape spun out of the creature's grasp.

_Reducto!_ Snape put all his anger into the spell and quite literally blew the first Inferius to pieces.

"Avada Kedavra!"

Snape dropped to one knee, death missing him by a foot.

_Him again._

_Expelliarmus! Depulso!_

The Death Eater's wand leaped from his hand and the second spell sent it spinning into the darkness.

_That ought to keep him busy._

Snape turned his attentions to the second Inferius. Owing to the creature's damaged head, it was less coordinated than its counterpart and that probably explained why it hadn't double-teamed him with the other.

_No more time for games. Reducto!_

The Inferius went down, but Snape heard a cry of triumph from the Death Eater.

_Shit. He's gotten his wand back._

The Death Eater limped out of the thicket.

"Avada K…

_Sectumsempra! _

Snape's spell slashed through skin, muscle, and tendon and the wand fell limply from the Death Eater's hand.

_Petrificus Totalis!_

The Death Eater fell, rigid as a board. Snape stepped over and pocketed his wand.

_Mission accomplished._

August 16th, 1978

9:56 PM

"Good job," Longbottom said after the Department of Magical Law Enforcement had taken custody of the Death Eater. "One down, 295 or so to go, assuming the Dark Lord doesn't mark 20 more tonight."

_That would certainly be a bad thing, now wouldn't it?_

"You said earlier tonight the Death Eaters were coming back, since the Ministry doesn't have the manpower to watch the city. Have wards been laid? That might help make up for our lack of numbers."

"Been there, done that," Longbottom said. "It was the wards that warned us the sods were coming back."

_Ah. Nice to know the Ministry's on its toes._

"Will I be needed to give a statement or anything? The last time…"

Longbottom shook his head. "Nope. This is Order business, so we're not subject to the usual rules. We'll debrief you tomorrow. Go home and get some rest. You've earned it."

_You're darn right._ The Apothecary expected him to be in at eight in the morning and although he'd been informed that Snape had obligations to the Ministry — the old man hadn't been told about the Order of the Phoenix but Snape figured he was shrewd enough to guess — he would still give Snape hell if he were late.

"Thanks."

Snape Disapparated, headed back to his home and a well-deserved sleep.


	38. Muggle Hunt

Muggle Hunt

**Muggle Hunt**

By Matthew W. Quinn

September 22nd, 1978

10:30 PM

"We look immensely foolish," Severus Snape drawled. "I mean, look at your hair!"

Lily Evans had her hair done up in the gravity-defying manner that Japanese tourists delighted in photographing. Being male, Snape did not have his hair done in quite the same manner — instead, it was cut much shorter and spiked.

It was true that Snape did not feel the need to hide behind his hair as much as he used to, but it felt so _alien_ to have shorter hair.

_When we're done, I'm using a charm to grow it back out. I don't care if it takes more effort to keep up, I look like a bloody hooligan._

"Doge said it was important to blend in. We don't want to be the first ones targeted when the Death Eaters show up."

The two of them, disguised as Muggle concert-goers, stood at the fringes of a crowd gathered in front of an outdoor stage, waiting for the Muggle band to arrive. The crowd tended to be more Mod than Punk, although there were a few young men with spiked hair floating around.

_Doge said that rumor has it the Death Eaters are planning a Muggle-hunt in the area. There are hundreds of people here — this would be one of the biggest targets._

He watched as the band ascended the stage. The audience roared and Snape grit his teeth at the assault on his eardrums.

"Hallo, Chipping Campden!" the lead singer called out. The audience cheered. "You ready for a party?"

"Yes!" the crowd roared back. Lily joined in and Snape allowed himself to smile. _At least she's having fun._

The lead singer brought the microphone to his mouth. Then all hell broke loose.

A jet of green light erupted from some trees ringing the concert site and struck the singer dead on the spot. Snape's eyes leaped over to the woods and saw two figures robed in black with silvery skull-masks.

_Looks like Doge was right._

The crowd was silent for a long moment before one of the musicians said something totally unhelpful.

"He's dead! They killed him!"

Immediately the crowd surged and Snape lost sight of the Death Eaters.

"Lily, they're to the left of the stage," Snape said. "Two of them!"

"Got it!" Lily said.

Then the surging crowd tore her away from him. Snape rushed perpendicular to the throng, hoping to get out of the way of the human tsunami. He caught glimpses of people being trampled beneath the throng, saw blood and bruises and footprints on people's faces, and wanted to avoid that.

Snape caught sight of the two Death Eaters gleefully casting curses into the crowd and heard the Muggles screaming. One Muggle fell down, howling and clawing at himself in pain.

_The Cruciatus Curse._

The other Death Eater cast the Killing Curse and struck another Muggle dead. Three people tripped over his corpse and were quickly trampled by the fleeing crowds.

_The assignment was to stop the Muggle-killing. Nobody said anything about taking prisoners. Sectumsempra!_

He aimed his curse at one of the Death Eater's throats, but a Muggle collided with him as he fired. His chance to surprise the Death Eaters and literally cut their manpower in half failed.

Snape's spell didn't miss entirely. Instead, it opened a terrible cut across the Death Eater's chest roughly parallel with his collarbone. Blood erupted from the wound, but it was not immediately lethal, nor would it immediately prevent the Death Eater from attacking.

"The enemy's here!" one of the Death Eaters shouted. "Kill them!"

A wave of Killing Curses erupted from somewhere to Snape's left.

Snape dodged, avoiding the three jets of green light. Three Muggles died instead. The curses had come from an open space but Snape could not see any more Death Eaters.

_They must be invisible somehow. Faciofarina!_

His spell sent a jet of flour in the direction of the Killing Curses. The flour-cloud descended around three human-shaped lumps in the fields beyond the panicking crowd.

_They're under invisibility cloaks. I think I can take them off the table all at once. Stupefy, Stupefy, Stupefy!_

He'd hoped to Stun the Death Eaters before they knew they'd been revealed, but things didn't work out. He managed to knock out two of the three, but one of them threw his cloak aside and jumped out of the way.

"Enervate!" he cried out, raising the other two from unconsciousness. The other two rose to their feet and moved to attack.

_Damn it._

Snape unleashed a barrage of Blasting spells that sent the Death Eaters flying and turned his attention back to the panicking crowds.

_Where is Lily?_ He hadn't seen her since they got separated. His eyes scanned the fleeing Muggles, searching for the telltale red hair, but couldn't find her.

_Very well. If I can't find her, the Patronus can._

He quickly composed a warning that there were three more Death Eaters and cast the Patronus Charm. The silvery-white bat leaped into the crowd and disappeared.

"It's the blood traitor!" one of the Death Eaters called out.

_Damn it. They recognize me._

"He loves Muggles so much, let's see them kill him. Imperio!"

Snape saw several nearby Muggles' eyes glaze over.

_Oh shit._

They lurched toward him, expressions blank and hands out.

"Expelliarmus!"

Snape felt his wand leaping away.

_Accio!_

Having reclaimed his wand, he spun and cast more Blasting spells in the direction of the Death Eaters before turning his attention back to the approaching Muggles.

_Confringo!_ His spell sent the closest Muggles flying. He fired additional Blasting spells into the ground at their feet, hoping to keep them away.

"Avada Kedavra!"

Snape spun and a Killing Curse passed mere inches from his nose.

_Blast. Time to get some Muggles between them and me and plan something._

Snape ran along the edges of the crowd, firing curses behind him to keep the Death Eaters at bay.

A silvery fox Patronus emerged from the crowds ahead of him.

"Sev," it spoke with Lily's voice. "I'm dueling the first two Death Eaters close to the stage. I need some help."

Snape pushed his way through the fleeing Muggles — there weren't as many of them now as there were before — towards the stage.

Through the gaps in the panicked crowd, Snape could see Lily taking on two Death Eaters at once, her Shield Charm protecting her from most of their attacks. One of them cast a Killing Curse and she dodged, then sent him smashing through the wooden stage with a burst of silvery light.

Then the remaining Death Eater cast a Killing Curse. A moment later, Lily fell.

_NO!_

His dreams of their life together, the dreams he'd had for nearly a decade, crumbled.

No more fun Potions experimenting, no hours whiled away in the woods or in front of a roaring fire, snuggling and enjoying one another's presence, no wonderful green eyes being the first thing he'd see every morning, no cute dark-haired little kids with those wonderful eyes…

Snape stopped himself. Lily's killer was still standing in front of him.

_Not for long. Sectumsempra!_

Fueled by his rage and pain, the attack did not just cut into the skin and upper layers of tissue. Instead, it cut through skin, both the Death Eater's carotid arteries, his esophagus, trachea, and his spinal cord too.

The Death Eater's head rolled off, everything holding it to its body severed forever. Twin crimson fountains erupted from his neck. Hot blood fell like a hellish rain among the fleeing Muggles. It trickled down Snape's face, mixing with the tears that were beginning to flow.

"What the hell! He just killed Marshall!" someone shouted behind him. The other Death Eaters were catching up.

_He's just the first._ He seriously considered unleashing the Killing Curse — the curse was taught in the _Book of Infernal Things_, since the European attitude to the use of the Unforgivables was somewhat more liberal than Britain's.

_You're risking a life sentence in Azkaban_.

Then he remembered how Lily fell moments after the Death Eater had cast the Killing Curse.

_I don't care._

He turned. Three Death Eaters approached, wands out.

"The Dark Lord'll reward me big-time for killing this one," a Death Eater said in a guttural voice. The man raised his wand, prepared to cast a curse at Snape.

Then two arrows of silver light slammed into him, sending him flying.

_Is the Order sending reinforcements? It's too bloody late! _ Lily was dead because someone made a mistake and if he found that person, he'd slash off their limbs and genitals and leave them begging for death…

"Sev!"

Snape's eyes leaped in the direction of the voice.

It was Lily. She was alive. Bloody and muddy, but alive.

_How can this be? That is not possible. Nobody can survive the Killing Curse!_

Then his rational mind took over.

_You didn't see the curse actually _hit_ her. She must've gotten out of the way somehow._

The terrible sadness and rage that threatened to blow away his rational mind ebbed somewhat, but it didn't vanish completely.

_They won't get another chance._

"It's that Mudblood! Get her!" one of the Death Eaters shouted.

_Oh no you don't. Accio Death Eater's heart!_

The Death Eater lurched toward Snape as though an invisible hook had buried itself in his chest. Snape could swear he saw the Death Eater's rib cage bulging.

_Hmm…can't rip the man's heart right out of his rib cage using the Summoning Charm, can I? Damn._

The Death Eater paled and toppled over.

_Ripping it off its moorings certainly just as well, though._

"It might be a good idea to get the hell out of here," Snape called out to the remaining Death Eater.

The Death Eater snorted. "Yeah right. We've got reinforcements coming."

CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

Snape's heart sank further with each Apparition.

_Six more Death Eaters._

Lily grinned, a feral expression that looked rather out of place on her normally-kind face.

"Seven of you? Bring it on!"

_Not now, Lily! _

Taking on that many opponents would have been a bad idea if they were both fresh and hearty and they certainly weren't that way now.

_She's a wonderful girl, but she's so _Gryffindorish_ sometimes._

Six Death Eaters emerged from the woods.

"Lily," Snape called out. "Time to go! Back to the rally point!"

"Yeah," one of the newly-arrived Death Eaters growled. "You and the Mudblood both run."

_Mulciber._

"But don't think this is over," he continued. "We'll catch you eventually."

He shrugged. "Maybe this'll get you running. Avada Kedavra!"

A jet of green light shot right at Lily…

_Levicorpus!_

Snape's spell snatched up one of the dead Muggles and blocked the curse.

"Lily! Time to go!"

Lily Disapparated and Snape did likewise. As he felt the spell carry him away, he could hear Mulciber laughing.

September 22nd, 1978

11:00 PM

Snape materialized at the rally point, an isolated clearing over sixty miles away.

Lily was there waiting for him.

"Lily!" Snape cried out. The two of them rushed over to each other. With an impulsiveness bordering on being Gryffindorish, Snape kissed her fiercely, and she returned his kiss.

"I thought you were dead," he said, the tears threatening to break through again. "He cast the Killing Curse, you fell…"

"For a minute, I thought so too," Lily replied. "I felt something hit me and I fell. But I didn't die."

She swallowed. "The curse hit one of the Muggles and knocked him into me."

Snape swallowed. "I…I'm glad you're alive."

"Me too."

He swallowed again, forcing away the image of the Death Eater he'd decapitated. We failed, didn't we? Lots of Muggles died, you were nearly killed. I know no plan survives contact with the enemy, but this, this was horrible. We got _ambushed_."

He scowled. "They knew someone was coming. I wonder if someone's spying."

"Sev, there's no need to go there. Given what we've been doing to them, it would make sense for them to have a backup team."

_True._

"Very well then. The others need to be informed." He paused and cast the Patronus Charm to inform Doge of what had happened. _Perhaps the Ministry can send in reinforcements to protect the remaining Muggles and see the surviving Death Eaters off._

The bat flitted away.

Lily cast her own Patronus and the fox bounded away into the woods.

"Yep."


	39. Strange Alliances

Strange Alliances

**Strange Alliances**

By Matthew W. Quinn

October 25th, 1978

7:30 PM

"You're kidding," Severus Snape said flatly.

"Nope," James Potter said, shaking his head. "Longbottom said there's a group of Death Eaters planning an attack and guess who happen to be the closest members of the Order?"

_Lovely. Bloody lovely. I have to fight alongside _him _of all people._

"Why the long face?" Potter asked. "I'm sure it'll be fun." He clapped Snape on the shoulder, making him flinch.

_Fun? This idiot thinks fighting the Death Eaters is bloody_ fun?_ And he's been in the Order a year longer than I have!_

"Fighting Death Eaters is not _fun_, Potter," Snape grated. "Just last month…"

"Yeah, I've heard about that," Potter said, an edge to his voice. "Let's hope tonight goes better."

_Blaming_ me _for Lily nearly being killed? I fail to see how that was my fault, considering how I was dealing with the Death Eater ambush squad under their Invisibility Cloaks._

"_That_ we can agree on," Snape replied. "You've been talking to Longbottom — what are we doing tonight?"

"Well, scuttlebutt is that the Death Eaters are going to take revenge on one Elvira Daly. She's a journalist, writes for the _Dover Messenger_ and exposed how a group of Death Eaters had managed to corrupt the local branch of the Ministry, stealing Ministry funds and harassing Muggle-borns. Two Death Eaters got life terms in Azkaban for using Imperius on the officials and the other Death Eaters are going to be upset."

"And Longbottom thinks they're coming here tonight?" He gestured to the modest two-story house where Elvira, her husband, and their baby son lived.

Potter nodded. "At least two of them. Possibly three."

"Better be prepared for more. We don't want a repeat of..."

"What happened last time," Potter finished. There was still an edge in his voice.

"Damn it, Potter, why the hell are you blaming me? It wasn't _my_ fault…"

"Had it been me there…" Potter's voice trailed off. "Never mind. We've got a job to do, let's do it."

_Potter being mature?_ He'd recognized the possibility when the Gryffindor had thanked him for saving McGonagall's life, but that episode had nothing to do with Lily.

He resisted the urge to say something cutting. _He does have a good point — he's been in the Order a year longer — even if most of his motivation is fool's pride._

"Very well. What's the plan?"

"Well, I've got my Invisibility Cloak," Potter said, gesturing to something in his old schoolbag that Snape — predictably — could not see. "We could wait for them in ambush."

_That damnable cloak. At least it'll be put to good use this time._

"Where will we wait, then? If we hide under the cloak together, we can only keep watch on one place."

Potter scrunched his face in thought. "I've got an idea. As you no doubt know" — he lowered his voice — "I'm an Animagus. You take the cloak and watch from the street, and I'll watch from the backyard. The house backs up to a wood, so it won't look so peculiar. Send me a Patronus if you see anything — I'll do the same."

Potter tossed Snape the cloak, then transformed into a stag. The animal sauntered off, leaving Snape by himself.

_Potter had a good idea. This is a bit of a shock. Of course, if he is skilled enough to become an Animagus at such a young age, he can't be a total fool, can he?_

Snape took the cloak, made his way to a spot in the center of the house's front yard, and quickly hid himself.

_All I need to do is wait._

Time passed. Snape looked at his watch.

_It's been two hours._

He felt his eyes beginning to grow heavy. Luckily he had tomorrow off, so he could sleep late — late for him being half an hour to an hour later than usual — without getting into trouble with the Apothecary.

Then he heard a distant popping sound.

_Sounds like someone's been Apparating._

For a moment, he thought it might be Elvira or her husband coming back from somewhere, but then he saw a dark figure with a skull-mask emerging from the shadows cast by the street lights.

_Wait for them to come. Don't give yourself away too early._

Two more Death Eaters appeared, following after the first. They walked confidently, arrogantly, as though they expected to come in, kill an entire family, and come out again.

Snape smiled grimly. _I'll enjoy wiping that arrogance off their faces._

The Death Eaters drew near, making no indication that they knew someone was waiting for them. One of them stopped and drew his wand.

Snape tensed. _Is Potter's cloak not working as well as it ought?_

Then the Death Eater began tracing a pattern on the air with his wand. Snape immediately saw the man was creating a defensive ward.

_He wants to keep reinforcements from arriving._

If he could successfully complete the ward, it would prevent reinforcements from getting to the house, at least until they could find a wizard powerful enough to break it.

_Time to go. Stupefy, stupefy, stupefy!_

Snape's attack immediately knocked out one of the Death Eaters, but two managed to Shield themselves and rouse their fellow.

_Damn it. Three on one._

"Someone's here!" one of the Death Eaters shouted.

Snape ducked back down, still hiding under the Cloak.

"Someone here's invisible. They knew we were coming," one Death Eater hissed.

"Do we bug out?" another asked.

"Like hell," the leading Death Eater said. "This should get him out of hiding. Avada Kedavra!"

He fired the Killing Curse straight into the ground a foot away from Snape.

Snape tried to suppress his instinctive roll away from the curse, but failed to check his movement in time. To his horror, found his feet sticking out from under the Cloak!

"There he is!" one of the Death Eaters shouted. "Levicorpus!"

Snape felt the magic pulling at his feet, pulling him into the air. The cloak slid down his body, exposing him from the waist up.

_Liberacorpus!_

Snape hit the ground, but his fall lost him the cloak entirely. He considered grabbing for it, but knew there wasn't time. He grabbed for his wand.

"Avada Ked—" the Death Eater began. A blast of silver light cut him off and sent him flying as Potter swung into action.

"Looks like as far as life-saving goes, we're even now," the Gryffindor said with a grin as he turned his attention to the remaining two Death Eaters, sending another flying and forcing the other backward with a rapid-fire barrage of spells.

"Even?" Snape replied as he rose to his feet and joined the battle. "The incident with Avery, Mulciber, and the Portkey counts for two."

"Two?"

"If you and Lily had followed the Portkey, who do you think would have been waiting on the other side?"

"There's no guarantee we'd have died."

"Even if there'd been 20 Death Eaters waiting for you?"

"Sure."

"Even if they hit you with an Avada Kedavra the moment you appeared?"

Potter thought for a moment. "Perhaps not then."

_Perhaps?_

"You two talk too damn much!" one of the Death Eaters shouted. He stabbed with his wand and a swarm of rats erupted onto the ground at Snape's feet. The creatures swarmed onto his feet and lower legs, biting through his pants, drawing blood.

Snape leaped back. _Incendio!_ The magically-generated rats squealed pitifully as the fire consumed them.

_Episkey!_ Snape's legs felt hot and then cold as his spells sealed up the rat bites. Then his wand snapped up and Snape cast Incarcerous, hoping to bind the Death Eater.

The Death Eater laughed as he deflected the spell. "I've killed four agents of Law Enforcement. The idiots always try to make me alive."

_Have it your way. Sectumsempra!_

The man's laughter turned into a scream as Snape's spell slashed him from the chin to the nose, splitting both his lips to the bone.

_Incendio!_

The fire ignited the Death Eater's robes. As the Death Eater tried to extinguish his burning clothes, that gave Snape the opportunity he needed.

_Petrificus Totalis!_

The Death Eater slammed into the pavement, stiff as a board. Snape's victory enabled to turn his attention to Potter.

The Gryffindor dueled the remaining two Death Eaters at the same time, laughing as he cast curses and dodged or deflected their attacks.

_He's having entirely too much fun with this._

Snape entered the fray, casting a Blasting spell at one of the Death Eaters who looked like he was going to try for an Avada Kedavra. The spell sent the Death Eater flying and Potter took the opportunity to Petrify him.

"Thanks," Potter said.

_That's two occasions he's acted mature tonight. I think that must be a record._

The remaining Death Eater roared in rage. He stabbed with his wand and a second later, Potter floated upside down in midair.

Snape didn't have time to consider the irony of this — the Death Eater cast a Stunner at him and though Snape moved to block it, he wasn't quite quick enough…

A moment later, Snape found himself conscious again.

"The bastard's in the house!" Potter shouted as he rushed into the shattered door.

_Well shit. _

Snape bolted after him. He heard the sound of battle inside the house and knew that the Death Eater had engaged Elvira or her husband.

_Hopefully they remember their DADA._

He looked up the stairs and saw a man in sweats barely dodge a Killing Curse and in turn strike the Death Eater with Reductor. The Death Eater's Shield held, but the concussive force sent the Death Eater toppling down the stairs. The Death Eater slammed into Potter but quickly caught himself on the banister.

The two of them briefly struggled on the stairs before the Death Eater kneed Potter in the crotch. Potter doubled over and the Death Eater stabbed again with his wand, generating a new swarm of rats. The nasty little creatures swarmed in both directions up the stairs, biting Potter and the man who was probably Elvira's husband. Several of them broke off from the swarm and rushed down the hallway.

"Shit!" the man shouted. He rushed after the rats.

The Death Eater laughed. "Baby's going to be rat food!" he cackled. He cast a Stunner, knocking Mr. Daly unconscious.

He didn't laugh much longer — Potter engaged him again and soon forced him into a corner. Snape was up the stairs in a flash.

_Potter looks like he's got this one well in hand._ His eyes jumped to the rats as they swarmed towards an open door, through which he could see the outline of a crib.

_Oh _hell_ no!_ He was no soft-heart where most people were concerned, but he had no interest in a baby being injured.

Snape unleashed a volley of curses that broke the skulls and backs of most of the rats. Two of them managed to make it into the baby's room.

Snape leaped into the baby's room. _Lumos!_ The light enabled him to see two rats scrambling up the side of the crib.

_Stupefy!_ The spell sent one rat flying, but the other one got into the crib before Snape could hit it. A moment later, the baby started wailing.

_Shit!_

Snape bolted over to the crib, grabbed the rat by its tail, and smashed it against the nearby wall, striking over and over until he was sure it was dead.

Then he turned his attention to the baby, a blue-wrapped red-faced little fellow shrieking in his crib.

Luckily, the rat hadn't had time to inflict serious damage. It had bitten the baby twice, punching a hole in his ear and marring one eyebrow.

_Episkey!_ The two wound were quickly healed and, slowly, the baby's tears subsided.

"Samuel!" Elvira shouted behind him. She rushed over and snatched the baby from the crib. "Is he all right?"

Snape nodded. "The rat spell the Death Eater deployed. I fixed it."

Potter rushed up behind the woman. "Everything all right?"

Snape nodded. "Yep. The baby's fine."

"Good. The Death Eater's Petrified. Let's call in the cavalry, before the spells wear off."

Snape nodded. "Let's."

The two of them made their way out of the house and, after some rooting around in the yard, Potter retrieved the Invisibility Cloak. After casting his stag Patronus, he turned to Snape.

"You healed the kid?"

"Yes, Potter."

"You can do something besides curse people?"

Snape snorted. "_Yes_, Potter. I can also cook my own food, sweep my own porch, and, if the mood takes me, fly a kite."

Potter was silent for a moment, but quickly recovered his bearings.

"That's good."


	40. All Gave Some, Some Gave All

All Gave Some, Some Gave All

**All Gave Some, Some Gave All**

By Matthew W. Quinn

November 11th, 1978

6:30 PM

The Order of the Phoenix had just sat down for dinner when a siren began howling throughout the house they thought was safe.

"Damn and blast," Sirius Black said, slamming his fork down. "Can't we bloody well have dinner these days without interruptions?"

Severus Snape narrowed his eyes. _Those wards are laid out for miles around the place. The Death Eaters might not be after us specifically._

Then another siren started howling. And another. Each siren came from a ward and each ward was closer and closer to the house where they were having dinner.

"They're too fast to be on foot," Lily Evans said. "They're on brooms. If we don't meet them in the air, they'll crush us here."

_Or we could simply Apparate out of the way and deny them a chance to attack us at all._

Frank Longbottom and Elphias Doge rose from their seats and dispatched their Patronuses.

"Everyone got their brooms?" Longbottom asked. "Miss Evans has a good point." He reached into a nearby corner and grabbed his own broom. "Let's go, people! Assemble over the house!"

He then Disapparated.

Snape sighed. _It seems they're intent on fighting rather than getting out of the way._

Snape dashed over to where he had left his broom, nearly tripping over Ian Jewell's guitar case in the process.

_A battle on brooms. This is not going to go well._

Still, he didn't have much of a choice. He breathed in, then Disapparated.

November 11th, 1978

6:33 PM

The Order of the Phoenix formed up in the skies above the house, Frank Longbottom in the lead. Snape watched as Lily stabbed with her wand, casting a massive array of Shield Charms that would protect their nascent formation from all but the worst Death Eater assault.

In the distance, he could see a cloud of tiny dark specks. He narrowed his eyes.

_Death Eaters._

He quickly counted. They were moving around a lot, so it was hard to keep track, but he figured there were at least forty of them.

His eyes swept the Order of the Phoenix formation. Other members Apparated in every few seconds as the Patronuses found them, but he estimated that there couldn't be more than twenty-five of them.

_Long odds. _

Something roared below and behind him, the growl of an engine. Snape looked to see Black ascending into the air on his motorcycle.

_What the hell?_ He knew that Black had such a motorcycle but he didn't expect to see it used in combat.

A nervous-looking Peter Pettigrew rode in the sidecar. Snape raised an eyebrow.

_Odd choice for riding alongside. He's a bad duelist._

Black rumbled to the front of the formation, ahead of Longbottom.

"Sirius," Lily said, exasperated. "You're in front of the shielding. I'll need to set a bunch more charms."

"Don't worry, love," Black said. "I won't need them."

Snape raised an eyebrow. _Love? _He figured Black was being friendly and not self-editing — as usual — but that word rankled him a bit.

Lily sighed. "Yes, you will." She started casting more charms and James Potter joined in.

Snape watched Longbottom scrunch up with face with thought.

"Your showboating has given me an idea, Black," he said. "You've got a hell of a lot more mass than any of us on brooms. I want you to charge right into the Death Eater formation, with us close behind. We'll try to split their formation in half."

Snape raised an eyebrow. _An interesting plan._ Of course, it could go wrong. The Death Eaters could surround them and slaughter them.

Then Longbottom turned his attention to Snape and Jewell, who floated a few feet behind.

"I want you both using that slashing spell of yours. When the point of the formation — Black, Pettigrew, and I — hit the Death Eaters, I want you both to flank them, slashing away. I want the two groups caught between you two and the main body, between a rock and a hard place."

Snape nodded. "Understood."

_That makes things a bit better._

Snape's eyes hopped to the approaching cloud of Death Eaters.

_They're getting closer._

He looked down. _It would be clever for some of the Death Eaters to Apparate beneath us and try a pincer move._

"All right, everyone," Longbottom said. "Form up on Black and me!"

The Order of Phoenix obeyed, forming an arrowhead formation behind the Auror and the flying motorcycle.

"Forward!"

The Order of the Phoenix charged the Death Eater formation like a freight train. Snape figured Longbottom was trying to make up with the Order's lack of numbers with sheer aggression.

As the two formations drew near, they started firing curses at each other. A mix of Blasting Spells, Stunners, and Killing Curses — the latter mostly fired by the Death Eaters, although Snape could see Doge and Longbottom firing them too — filled the space between the two groups as they collided.

Snape bolted to the right and he saw Jewell bolt to the left. As he flew alongside the Death Eater formation, he unleashed his trademark spell.

_Sectumsempra!_

A chorus of screams rose from among the Death Eaters as he flew past their formation. He felt hot blood spattering on him and knew he'd done some serious damage.

More shouts drew his attention to below the intermingled formations and he saw robed Death Eaters and broken brooms falling. He looked for the cause of the devastation and saw Black on his motorcycle crashing through the enemy, the sheer force of his assault scattering or crushing the Death Eaters.

His gaze followed one Death Eater who'd been hit head-on by the motorcycle. His shattered broom unable to hold him and blood streaming from his broken nose and his mouth, he tumbled headlong from the sky only to be impaled on the spiky top of a tree.

_Ouch._

Then he heard a shriek and saw a female Death Eater with long black hair flowing out from around her mask and felt his blood chill.

_Bellatrix Black LeStrange._

She dove at her renegade cousin, followed closely by a big, blocky Death Eater.

_That's probably her husband, Rodolphus._ The two of them had a fierce reputation, often being likened to the Yank Muggle gangsters Bonnie and Clyde by the wizarding press.

Black spotted his evil cousin and roared in rage. He pulled his motorcycle upwards, smashing two Death Eaters aside, and headed straight for Bellatrix.

Bellatrix struck first, firing a pair of Killing Curses. Black leaned sideways and avoided one, while Pettigrew ducked into the sidecar and avoided the other. Pettigrew then fired a pair of curses at Bellatrix, but both of them flew wide of their target.

Black retaliated, unleashing a storm of curses at Bellatrix. Bellatrix Shielded herself, but the sheer weight of Black's assault knocked her backwards.

Black laughed. "Come on, Bella. Is that the best you can do?"

Bellatrix retaliated with a curse storm of her own. Between them, Black and Pettigrew created a Shield Charm that could stand off the assault, but that left them open to an attack from another angle.

Rodolphus cast Reductor, literally shattering Black's motorcycle. The sidecar with Pettigrew plummeted towards the ground, while the middle portion, Black still in the saddle, remained relatively intact. The rest flew everywhere, with a flying spoke narrowly missing Snape's face.

"Good job, Roddy," Bellatrix laughed.

As the sidecar fell, Pettigrew moaned in fear and Disapparated. Snape spotted him materializing beneath the trees, but lost sight of him soon afterwards.

Black feel free as what was left of his mount tumbled. He plummeted towards the trees, limbs flailing desperately.

"Padfoot!" Potter cried out. The former Quidditch star bolted towards Black, knocking a Death Eater aside with a fist. As he drew near his falling friend, he reached out a hand.

"Grab on!"

Black reached for Potter's hand. Their fingers nearly touched…

"Avada Kedavra!"

Snape could not see which Death Eater had cast the curse. All he saw was the jet of green light slamming into Black and sending him flying away from Potter. Snape watched as the body disappeared into the trees below.

"NO!" Potter screamed. Hazel eyes alight with rage, Potter charged at the nearest Death Eaters, who happened to be Bellatrix and her husband.

"Potter, you fool!" Snape called out. "They're too strong!"

But his words were lost on the Gryffindor boy as he charged the infamous pair. He dodged sideways, avoiding a Killing Curse from Rodolphus, and cast a storm of silver light at the two of them.

Bellatrix deflected his attack easily, laughing as she did so, but Rodolphus wasn't so skilled. He weathered the first blasts, but Potter's attack was too fierce. The assault knocked him off his broom and he fell, landing on his feet on a solid branch 20 feet below.

Potter growled, an angry, maniacal sound, and turned his attention to Bellatrix. She laughed and charged, hurling three Killing Curses at Potter. The Gryffindor managed to dodge all three and hammered her with a barrage of Reductor and Blasting spells, but she managed to deflect those. Her rejoinder, a Blasting Spell so powerful its silver light nearly blinded Snape, sent Potter tumbling.

Bellatrix swept by her husband, who was gesturing with his wand, trying to Summon a broom.

"You've been a Death Eater for years, Roddy, and you get knocked down by a recent graduate," Bellatrix chided him. "You're embarrassing."

Snape heard LeStrange grumble as he passed by. The notion of blasting the man off his perch occurred to him.

_Unfortunately, that would likely attract Bellatrix's attention._

Snape wasn't so foolish to do that, but there were plenty of lesser Death Eaters circling around her. He smiled.

_Sectumsempra!_

He swung a wide arc with his arm, slashing five Death Eaters at once. He saw two tumble off their brooms and allowed himself a small smile.

Unfortunately, their cries of pain got Bellatrix's attention.

"Well, well. Looks like the ickle blood traitor has come out to play."

Her words made Snape's blood run cold.

Bellatrix dove at Snape, laughing madly.

"Avada Kedavra!" she shouted. "Avada Kedavra!"

Snape weaved between the two Killing Curses, nearly falling off his broom in the process. He heard her laugh and cast Reductor in the direction of her cackling.

That didn't silence her laughter. "Is that the best you can do, you disgrace to the good name of Salazar Slytherin?"

_You talk too damn much._

Snape cast Sectumsempra, but she blocked that spell as well.

"Come on," Bellatrix hissed. "Surely the Half-Blood Prince can do better than that."

_How does she know that nickname? _Perhaps Malfoy told her. In any event, it didn't really matter.

_Don't let her provoke you._ _You screw up, she'll kill you._

"Bellatrix LeStrange!" he heard Longbottom shout. "Why don't you pick on someone your own size?"

Bellatrix laughed again. "Will do, Longbottom. Just got to take out the trash first!"

She stabbed at Snape with her wand, unleashing bolts of silver light. Snape cast a Shield Charm, but the sheer force of Bellatrix's attack blasted him off his broom.

Snape fell. The tops of the trees looked awfully pointy as he fell towards them. He tried to force the image of him being impaled like that Death Eater out of his mind.

Suddenly, someone grabbed him by the hand. Snape looked up.

_Potter?_ Snape repressed a scowl. _Not again._

Potter carried him up in the air, back into the whirling battle.

"Keep slashing!" Potter shouted.

_Holy crap. _He wasn't expecting _this_.

"How long can you hold me?"

"Long enough!"

Snape slashed two Death Eaters who were menacing Remus Lupin, then blew another Death Eater off his broom with Reductor. He was about to try out the Flesh Rotting Curse he'd learned from the _Book of Infernal Things_ when Potter suddenly dipped low towards the forest canopy.

"I can't hold you anymore. Grab a broom and get back up here!"

Snape saw a tree rushing towards him.

"You ready?"

Snape calculated their current speed and the force he'd hit the tree with if Potter released him immediately.

"Slow down a little!"

That Potter did. Then he let go.

_Oh bugger! _Snape found himself flying towards a particularly tall tree. He considered casting Levicorpus on himself, but he'd be a nice big stationary target if he did that.

Instead, he cast a Cushioning Charm between himself and the tree. If it could save him and Sarah from falling off the Astronomy Tower, it could stop him from getting smashed against a tree.

The Charm worked. Instead of breaking every bone in his body upon colliding with the trunk, he just felt pain.

Lots of pain.

_Probably have some nasty bruises by the time this is done._

He felt a curse slash through the nearby branches.

_Time to get out of sight._

Snape slid down the trunk until he felt a particularly sturdy branch beneath his feet. He looked down and estimated the distance between himself and the ground.

_Twenty feet._

Snape clambered down until he was on a branch ten feet from the ground. He cast a couple of Cushioning Charms and dropped, landing on his feet with minimal pain.

_Okay. Time to find a broom._

He set off towards where he'd seen some Death Eaters fall. _They probably won't be needing their brooms anymore._

Still, just because the Death Eaters have fallen did not mean they were dead. He kept his wand out, ready to cut down any challengers.

That challenger wasn't long in coming.

"Avada Ked—" Snape cast a Blasting Spell in the direction that the words had come and the target leaped out of the way with a rather profane expression.

It was a Death Eater. His mask was gone and his face was spattered with blood and the man's left arm hung limply. Still, he was on his feet and still had his wand and that made him dangerous.

_Now might be a good time to use the Flesh Rotting Curse. Putesco!_

The Death Eater fell onto his knees with a cry. Initially nothing else seemed to happen.

_Did it work?_

Then things started happening very fast.

The Death Eater cried out again and rolled onto his side.

"What did you do to me, you blood traitor!" the man cried out, his voice high-pitched and full of pain. He gestured with his wand, as though he was trying to cast a spell, but his wand fell out of his limp fingers and he cried out in pain.

Snape stepped over and crushed the Death Eater's wand with his foot, splitting it into three. It was then that he got a good look at his handiwork.

The Death Eater's face had turned a sickly yellow color, as had the whites of his eyes. As the man moaned in pain, a fat worm oozed out of his nose and started nibbling on his lip.

He swung at Snape and managed to hit him on the calf. Snape felt the man's hand disintegrate inside his black glove and the Death Eater screamed.

_Well_. That _certainly is effective._

Snape left the cursed Death Eater moaning and weeping behind him and rushed through the woods, looking for a broom. He looked right, then left, but couldn't see anything. Then an idea hit him.

_Accio broom!_

He swept his wand in front of him, extending his magic reach. A broom leaped out of a tree and Snape caught it.

He was looking for a clear spot in the canopy to re-enter the fray through when someone slammed into the ground in front of him with a force that made Snape wince. The fallen man moaned once and lay still.

_Oh shit._ Although he didn't get a good look at the body, he recognized the clothes. _Ian!_

He knelt by the body and examined him. Blood trickled from his open mouth and his eyes were wide and glassy. Snape put two fingers to the fallen man's carotid artery but felt no pulse.

_Shit! Episkey!_

Nothing happened. He saw part of Ian's chest was caved in and knew then that serious healing magic was necessary.

He tried the singing-healing charm he learned from Lily.

Again nothing.

_Enervate!_ He'd never seen the spell used for anything other than reviving those who were Stunned, but it couldn't hurt.

After a moment, he stopped trying.

_Ian's dead._

Snape swallowed the lump in his throat. Even though it had been over a year since his breakup with Sarah, things weren't quite the same between them as they were in the months after he dueled Mulciber and broke with his bad friends.

_Remember the good times. He was one of the friends you made after the rupture with Avery, Mulciber, and company. He helped you with some of your O.W.L.s and even taught you how to do the Summoning Charm without a wand. That helped you crush Potter. And remember that record you and Lily listened to._

He sighed. _There'll be time to mourn later. Get back up there and kick some ass._

He closed Jewell's staring eyes with two fingers. Then he made the sign of the Cross.

_Absolve, we beseech Thee, O Lord, the soul of Thy servant Ian Jewell from every bond of sin, that being raised in the glory of the resurrection, he may be refreshed among the Saints and Elect, through Christ our Lord. Amen._

Snape rose to his feet, straddled his broom, and rose into the air. He soon found a hole in the canopy and rejoined the fight.

His eyes swept the sky, looking for figures in black robes. He contemplated the rather icky things he'd do to any Death Eater he managed to catch. He recalled the horrors the Flesh Rotting Curse had inflicted on the fallen Death Eater and wondered how the curse might affect healthy Death Eaters.

A jet of green light flashed by his head.

_Pay attention! If you don't, you'll be joining Ian!_

Snape responded with a rain of Blasting Charms and was rewarded by seeing a Death Eater falling towards the trees. He smiled, a grim expression he last recalled wearing when he waited in the corridor for Mulciber years ago.

He looked up. A couple hundred yards away, he saw the Death Eaters forming up on the two LeStranges. They were rather reduced in numbers but were still formidable, particularly since the Order had taken casualties as well.

_They're massing. Are they preparing for another attack?_

Then he saw several of the Death Eaters flying away. Some of them hung back, casting curses and generating Shield Charms to protect the others, then retreated while others held the line.

_Even when they run, they have discipline. They're an army, not a gang._

"Are you running away?" he heard Lily call out. "Can't fight when the odds turn against you?"

Snape looked over to Lily to see her and the remaining members of the Order of the Phoenix floating alongside several Aurors, who looked to have just arrived.

_Took them bloody long enough. Maybe Ian would still be alive if they were quicker._

Bellatrix laughed. "He who fights and runs away lives to fight another day." She snorted. "Foolish Mudblood. There are more ways to beat an enemy besides running up to them and banging them with your head."

She and her husband both loose a spray of Killing Curses and retreated. Once he made sure none of them had hit Lily, Snape cast a couple of Blasting Spells after them. The curses splattered on the array of floating Shield Charms they'd left behind them.

_Damn. Figure I could get some quick victories there._

"All right, everyone," Longbottom called out. "Everyone sweep the area. Priorities are our own people, then Death Eaters, then Muggle witnesses."

November 11th, 1978

7:30 PM

Snape stepped over the body of a fallen Death Eater and continued looking for Lily. He'd sent a Patronus several minutes ago, didn't hear back, and was starting to worry.

_You saw her land somewhere in the forest after the Death Eaters fled._

That wasn't enough to assuage his worries. The Death Eaters had abandoned their injured who'd fallen off their brooms and wounded animals were the most dangerous ones of all.

_Remember the Death Eater with the broken leg in Oxford._

Someone moaned nearby. Snape's eyes jumped to the source of the sound and saw that it was the Death Eater he'd inflicted the Flesh-Rotting Curse on. The man moaned again, his face alive with worms.

"Yuck," Marlene McKinnon said when she spotted the fallen Death Eater. "Who did this?"

"I did," Snape said. "It's called the Flesh-Rotting Curse."

McKinnon raised an eyebrow. "Another one of your inventions?"

"Nope. I got it out of a book from Durmstrang."

She wrinkled her nose at the mention of the school with the Dark reputation and Snape repressed a scowl.

"Can you reverse it? The Ministry will want him for questioning."

"Can you freeze him first? The only thing that's keeping him from moving is the fact that more of him will fall off."

"Will do." She Petrified the Death Eater.

Snape thought back to the _Book of Infernal Things_. He stepped over to the fallen Death Eater and made the appropriate wand movements and incantations.

The Death Eater's yellowed, putrescent flesh began to lighten, the oozing pus-filled sores sealing up. The chunks of rotten flesh that had fallen off liquefied and flowed back into the gaping holes in his flesh. The smell began to die down.

"Am I finished?" Snape asked. He really wanted to find Lily, make sure she was all right.

McKinnon nodded. "Magical Law Enforcement will be here to collect the enemy wounded soon. Of course, we're still tracking down Muggle witnesses — half the county must've seen that fight. It might be a bit."

"So long as that man stays Petrified."

With that, Snape turned away from McKinnon and the fallen Death Eater.

"Lily!" he called out. "Lily, where are you?"

Nobody replied. _Damn it._

He shut his eyes, trying to remember where Lily had touched down, then made his way in that direction. After a few minutes, he heard a distant wailing.

_I wonder who that could be?_ He'd seen many people fall on both sides that night.

He turned away from the sound. _Not my concern._ He wanted to find Lily.

Then he thought for a moment.

_Lily's always kind, always compassionate. If someone is sad, she'll be there, trying to help them._

He made his way towards the sound. A minute later, he exhaled in relief.

Lily was there. She knelt next to Potter and had an arm wrapped around his shoulder as he cried.

A corpse lay in front of them.

Snape craned his neck. _That's Black_. The corpse's fall through the trees had cut it up pretty badly, but he could recognize the gray eyes, the face, and the clothing.

"Padfoot," Potter moaned. "PADFOOT!"

"There, there," Lily whispered. "It'll be all right…" Then her own words dissolved in tears.

Snape felt anger in his chest. _Why's she getting all cuddly with_ him?

He forced his jealousy back down. _His best mate is dead!_ _Of course Lily will comfort him! _

He thought back to the terrible night where Lily had nearly died at the Death Eaters' hands.

_Wouldn't you like someone to comfort you then?_

He knelt next to Lily and placed his hand on her back.

"Lily," he whispered.

She turned to look at him, her green eyes full of tears.

"Thanks," she said quietly, before returning her attention to the distraught Potter.

Still idly stroking Lily's spine, Snape looked at the corpse of Black, his old enemy turned somewhat awkward ally. He decided to do the right thing, even if it was far more difficult for Black, his would-be murderer once upon a time, than for Jewell.

He sighed and crossed himself.

_Absolve, we beseech Thee, O Lord, the soul of Thy servant Sirius Black from every bond of sin, that being raised in the glory of the resurrection, he may be refreshed among the Saints and Elect, through Christ our Lord. Amen._


	41. A Funeral and a Major Life Decision

A Funeral and a Major Life Decision

**A Funeral and a Major Life Decision**

**Author's Note: **This really should have gone in the last chapter, but "All Gave Some, Some Gave All" came from the Billy Ray Cyrus song of the same name, while the notion of Bellatrix and Rodolphus being like Bonnie and Clyde comes from Creatress, a member of Fiction Alley. The Snape/Sarah stuff in this chapter was inspired by a comment from Kore-of-Myth.

November 14th, 1978 AD

11 AM

They buried Sirius Black in a graveyard in wizarding London, beneath a leaden, weeping sky.

"Let all of us remember Sirius Black," the Ministry official intoned as the remaining Marauders, Frank Longbottom, Albus Dumbledore, and a fair-haired stocky man that Snape did not recognize carried Black's coffin in the Muggle fashion to the side of the open grave. "Let us remember how he lived and why he died."

Severus Snape watched as the official gestured and the coffin rose in the air and settled in the graves. The six men beside the grave bowed their heads and beside him, Lily Evans wept.

_Not quite sure what to say_, he thought. He shifted the arm he had around her a bit and began stroking her side. _Hopefully this will do._

He watched as Dumbledore spoke to each of the Marauders.

_At least something good has come out of this debacle._

In the meeting the Order held in the aftermath of the battle, Dumbledore decided that it was too dangerous to have a mobile headquarters — too many opportunities for the location to leak out — and the Order would soon have a permanent base, protected by the Fidelius Charm.

_Good bloody idea._

Hogwarts might be a good location, since rumor had it Voldemort avoided the place because he feared Dumbledore. However, given the presence of Voldemort supporters among the students, that might not be wise.

_Lily said Black's family home is a fortress. Pity his Mum and Dad still live there. They'd never let us in._

Black's parents weren't at the funeral, and neither were any members of his family that Snape could recognize.

_So much for Black family values._ He knew that the Blacks were Pureblood-supremacists and he was pretty sure that Regulus was a Death Eater, but given how the younger Black had obsessed about the need for family loyalty, he expected at least some of them to show up.

Then he spotted a tall, dark-haired woman emerge from the crowd a few feet away. His heartbeat slowed.

_Oh bugger. Bellatrix LeStrange just had to crash the funeral._

His hand dropped to his wand.

_If I can surprise her, I can kill her right off._

He felt Lily's fingers encircling his wrist.

"Sev, don't worry. It's not Bellatrix. It's his cousin Andromeda."

Snape allowed himself to relax.

_Good._

Snape examined the newcomer more closely and began to detect some subtle differences between the two women. Andromeda's hair was a softer brown, unlike her sister's jet black. Her face was softer and less harsh than her sister's and her eyes lacked the coldness or red-hot rage he'd seen in them the few times they'd met.

Lily pointed to the fair-haired man who stood with the Marauders, Longbottom, and Dumbledore at the edge of the grave.

"That's her husband, Ted Tonks."

Snape raised an eyebrow. _The Muggle-born wizard who won the heart of a daughter of the House of Black and defeated Lucius Malfoy's attempt to reclaim her?_

He made a note to meet this man. _Could be interesting._

A little girl with mousy brown hair emerged from the crowd behind Andromeda. Andromeda knelt to pick her up and the girl's hair rapidly changed color, eventually settling on bubble-gum pink.

Snape's eyebrow stayed raised. _A Metamorphagus? That's not something you see every day._

"Who's she?"

"Her name's Nymphadora. Sirius showed me some pictures of her. Ted and Andromeda moved to Canada when she became pregnant…"

_A Black, running away? I thought they were made of sterner stuff._

"For the child's sake," Lily continued. "They sent pictures and Sirius sent her some toys, but they never actually met."

_Keeping the child safe. Makes sense._

The Ministry official gestured with his wand and the heap of dirt near the grave began pouring in. He gestured again once the grave was full and grass erupted from the dirt, making the ground beneath Black's headstone appear undisturbed.

Seeing his closest friend disappear forever beneath the earth must've touched a nerve in James Potter. Though he had been remarkably stoic while he carried Black's coffin, he broke down crying.

Lily pulled away from Snape and made her way over to join the others as they clustered around Potter. Snape forced himself to smile.

_He needs comfort now._

It still made him a bit uncomfortable to see Lily acting affectionately with his former tormentor, so he decided to turn away and look around a bit.

_Pretty much all of the Order of the Phoenix is here. It'd make a wonderful Death Eater target._

Of course, he wouldn't want to be a Death Eater participating in that attack. Several members of the crowd were Aurors and although Voldemort's followers were more numerous, they were mostly unremarkable individually. The Death Eaters would have paid a terrible price had they come knocking.

Someone broke down weeping a few feet away and Snape's eyes jumped over.

_Sarah?_

Sarah Jewell, wearing mourning black, stood at the edge of the crowd.

_That's odd. Sarah didn't really know the Marauders. Why is she…?_

Then he remembered that her brother's funeral had not yet taken place. Her family was scattered across Britain, Canada, and the United States and gathering them would take time.

_Just because it's not her brother's funeral doesn't mean she can't weep for him._

Snape's eyes wandered back to Lily and the others. Potter was still crying and so were Lupin and Pettigrew. Lily was doing her best to comfort all of them.

_She might be awhile._

He stepped over to Sarah and hesitantly touched her shoulder.

"Sarah," he said quietly.

She looked up, brown eyes wide with surprise. She looked at him for a long moment.

_Uh oh. Did I do something wrong?_

Then she hugged him fiercely.

This_ was unanticipated._

He returned her hug. As he held Sarah, he thought about Lily.

_Lily could have died at that Muggle concert and I could have died three days ago. And the war's not over yet._

After all, Voldemort had publically declared war in 1970, and the war still seesawed between defeats like the massacre at the concert and victories like the battle over the woods.

_Pyrrhic victories_, he thought, recalling how the older brother of the weeping young woman he now comforted had come crashing through the trees and died before he could heal him.

He decided right then and there that he was going to ask Lily to marry him.

_Other people are rushing into all kinds of things, thinking they could die the next day. Foolish, that — they ought to look at my parents as an object lesson as to what happens when people make hasty decisions — but Lily and I are different. We've known each other for a long time._

Of course, that led directly to the issue of how he would afford a ring for Lily. Many of the fallen Death Eaters bore the cursed wounds produced by Sectumsempra and the Ministry, unable to tell who slashed who, divided the bounties equally between Snape and Jewell's family.

That meant that money would not be a problem for awhile, even if the Apothecary decided to fire him, but Snape had found life after Hogwarts to be more expensive than he anticipated and suspected marriage would be much the same.

_This will require some thought._


	42. The Princes' Heirloom

The Princes' Heirloom

**The Princes' Heirloom**

By Matthew W. Quinn

**Author's Note: **Y'all might be interested in a fic by Eowyn Shadeslayer entitled "Fast Car." It's about the courtship of Eileen Prince, who's trying to fend off the unwanted advances of Tom Riddle, and Tobias Snape. Rather appropriate subject matter given what's discussed in this chapter. Also, the notion of Eileen's parents disapproving of her marriage is from Sindie's story "The Moment It Began," while the idea of the heirloom in question came from SnevansDramione on one of the Fiction Alley S/L discussions.

November 17th, 1978 AD

4:30 PM

Severus Snape knocked on the door of the apartment in Diagon Alley where his parents were staying.

"Mum, Father, it's me," he said. "Sammy, it's Master Severus."

The door swung open and Eileen Prince Snape appeared.

"Hallo, Severus," she said. She hugged him as he stepped inside. "How've you been?"

"Been a bit busy lately. One of Lily's friends died and I attended the funeral with her."

He didn't want to go into a lot of detail about how — although Eileen was his mother and was safe from Death Eater attack in the apartment, it was possible they might abduct her during the times she went outside.

_Best be on the safe side. The less she knows about what you do, the less they can torture out of her._

"Was her friend killed by the Dark Lord?"

_Bugger. She must've seen it on my face._

He nodded. "Not directly, but one of his lieutenants. I can't go into a lot of detail."

She nodded. "I understand."

Snape looked at her. _How much does she know?_

"So tell me, Severus, what's this surprise you mentioned in your letter?"

Snape inhaled, suddenly nervous.

Suddenly, two voices started shouting excitedly from the other room. Snape's hand reflexively dropped to his wand.

Eileen rolled her eyes. "Don't worry, Severus. It's just your father and that elf."

Snape raised an eyebrow. _Father and Sammy, getting along?_

"Your father just discovered that someone else here cares about that Muggle sport."

_Sammy likes football? Sammy likes Manchester United?_

Snape craned his neck. In the other room, he could see Tobias and the elf sitting on the sofa, attention focused on the television.

There was an empty bottle of firewhiskey on the floor between them.

_Uh oh._

Snape swallowed. He didn't know what firewhiskey would do to a Muggle, but knowing his father, he didn't want to find out.

Eileen looked paler than usual. "He'd been better for awhile, then read about firewhiskey in the local grocer's catalogue. I intercepted Sammy before he could get it the last time, but laid in today and…"

She swallowed and when she spoke, her voice wavered. "Let's hope the game lasts awhile longer. What is it that you wanted to tell me?"

Snape tried to push the thoughts about Father's potential misbehavior under the influence of firewhiskey out of his mind.

"Well, Mum, I think I'm going to ask Lily to marry me."

Eileen smiled, a rare enough sight on her thin face.

"That's wonderful, Severus. Do you think she'll accept?"

_That's a very good point._

"Well, I don't know why not. It's true we've only been dating a year and a half, but we've known each other for quite a long time."

_That should eliminate some of the pitfalls of rushing into marriage._

"Wait right here, Severus. I have something for you."

She stepped out of sight for a moment and returned with a shoebox.

_I wonder what's inside?_

She opened the box and Snape had to restrain his jaw from dropping.

The box was full of various wizarding mementos. There were some old photos of a dark-haired man and woman and a little girl who laughed and waved at the camera, a tiny model ship with sails that moved as if they were blown by the wind, and some jewelry.

Snape raised an eyebrow.

"I know what you're thinking," Eileen said. "You're thinking that perhaps this could have been sold to help the family out when times got tough, when the mills started closing and your father's drinking got worse."

Snape remembered Petunia Evans mocking his poverty, insinuating that he was wearing his mother's clothes.

"That might have been helpful, yes."

Her voice trembled. "But you don't know the whole story. Do you know why you've never met my parents, your grandparents?"

"I was under the impression they died before I was born."

_More family secrets?_

Eileen nodded. "Your grandmother died when I was five or six. Some kind of illness, nobody knew what. Your grandfather died when I was twenty-five, just before I married Tobias."

She swallowed. "The Princes had always been a Pureblood family, even when our numbers dwindled. He couldn't stand the thought of the last of the line marrying a Muggle. We fought and…said unforgivable things. Both of us."

She closed her eyes and Snape could tell she was trying not to cry.

"Mum," he said. He reached up, trying to rest his hand on her shoulder, but she pushed it away.

"Dad died soon afterward. He got hit by a Muggle car and died before anyone, wizard or Muggle, could help him. The witnesses said he walked out in front of the car as if he didn't know it was coming."

She swallowed. "He might have been thinking about the last fight we'd had and wasn't paying attention, or the shame of his daughter marrying a Muggle was too much to bear…"

A tear managed to escape her eye.

"We were Pureblood, but we weren't rich like the Malfoys and Blacks. This is all I had left of my parents and I didn't want to get shot of it."

She reached into the box and pulled out an ornate, old-style ring.

"But this is worth it."

She smiled. "It was Mum's ring. It had been passed down through several generations of Princes. Give it to your new princess."

_Wow._

"Thanks, Mum," he stammered. "That's awfully…"

The springs in the sitting-room sofa squeaked as his father got up. He made his way over to the doorway a few feet away and looked at his wife and son.

Snape could smell the firewhiskey on him.

_Uh oh._

"Congratulations, boy. If she accepts, you'll be marrying better than I did."

More tears slid down Eileen's cheek.

"Tobias," she whispered.

"It was a bloody public service marrying you, Eileen," the elder Snape continued. "Your old man ought to have been happy someone took you off his hands."

Snape saw red. He remembered all the times he'd seen Father say cruel things to Mum and he'd been too weak, too afraid of the older man, to do anything about it.

_I've killed Death Eaters. Punishing some idiot _Muggle_ won't be too difficult._

His hand dropped to his wand. _Lop off his wagging tongue with Sectumsempra or perhaps Reductor to break some bones?_

He saw his father stiffen. _He's killed a Death Eater too. Unlike that idiot, I won't underestimate him because he's a Muggle._

Eileen hand leaped over to his, preventing him from drawing.

"One word," he hissed. "One word and I'll punish him for every time he's ever said anything cruel."

"Don't ruin your life for my sake," she hissed back. "If I wanted to, do you think I couldn't do this myself?"

The elder Snape snickered.

"I doubt that. If it weren't for me, you'd be _all alone_, sitting in the bloody library all the time and…"

_Enough is enough._

"Father," Snape said, warning clear in his voice.

The elder Snape fell silent for a moment. When he started speaking, he sounded much more reasonable.

"Severus," he began.

_You're not nearly as much of an idiot as you seem sometimes, Father. You know you can't play on my insecurities like you can hers._

"This whole situation is her fault. She didn't tell me what she was until after we were married. Bloody entrapment, that."

Eileen closed her eyes again.

"Is that true, Mum?"

She nodded.

_That was certainly a bad idea._

"If I told him and he left me — which was quite possible — I'd have had to call in the Obliviators. They might have damaged his mind."

_Ah._

"You see, Father, she clearly gives a damn about you. Is the reverse true?"

"I worked, didn't I? I worked long hours at a job I hated so she wouldn't have to, so she could spend time with you," Tobias grated. "We never needed a bloody babysitter that her folk would have to mind-rape if she ever saw you doing anything unusual and…

"Both of you, stop it!" Eileen half-shouted.

Her unaccustomed outburst silenced both men.

Snape raised an eyebrow and saw his father do the same.

_Are we that much different? _

The question made him shudder.

He swallowed. _We are._ _I'll certainly treat Lily better than you treated Mum._

She took her mother's ring out of the box and put in Snape's hand, then closed his fingers around it.

"Go out there and marry Lily Evans, if she's willing."

Her voice dropped to a whisper.

"_But don't make the same mistakes your father and I did!"_

Snape found himself in the unfamiliar situation of blinking back tears.

"Yes, Mum."

_Perhaps I'll wait a little bit longer, just to be safe._


	43. Long Night

Long Night

**Long Night**

By Matthew W. Quinn

November 11th, 1978 AD

6:45 PM

The Death Eater Severus Snape had cursed with the Flesh-Rotting spell swung at him and managed to hit him on the calf. Snape felt the man's hand disintegrate inside his black glove and the Death Eater screamed.

_Well_. That _certainly is effective._

Snape left the cursed Death Eater moaning and weeping behind him and rushed through the woods, looking for a broom. He looked right, then left, but couldn't see anything. Then an idea hit him.

_Accio broom!_

He swept his wand in front of him, extending his magical reach. A broom leaped out of a tree and Snape caught it.

He was looking for a clear spot in the canopy to re-enter the fray through when someone slammed into the ground in front of him with a force that made Snape wince. The fallen man moaned once and lay still.

_Oh shit._ Although he didn't get a good look at the body, he recognized the clothes. _Ian!_

He knelt by the body and examined him. Blood trickled from his open mouth and his eyes were wide and glassy. Snape put two fingers to the fallen man's carotid artery but felt no pulse.

_Shit! Episkey!_

Nothing happened. He saw part of Ian's chest was caved in and knew then that serious healing magic was necessary.

He tried the singing-healing charm he learned from Lily.

Again nothing.

_Enervate!_ He'd never seen the spell used for anything other than reviving those who were Stunned, but it couldn't hurt.

After a moment, he stopped trying.

_Ian's dead._

A set of teeth digging into his shoulder interrupted his mourning.

"Not entirely dead, am I?" the Death Eater moaned behind him, maggots from his face pouring onto Snape. He bit Snape again, leaving teeth embedded in his shoulder.

Snape elbowed the man and felt ribs crumbling beneath his blow. The Death Eater fell screaming, but gestured with a wand he wasn't supposed to have at Ian's corpse.

The dead man rose to his feet and looked at Snape.

"I'm dead because of you!" the Ian-Inferius shouted, blood trickling from its mouth. "If you were a bit quicker, I'd still be alive!"

Then it lunged…

December 3rd, 1978

2 AM

Snape came awake with a shout, grabbing for the wand he kept under his pillow. He pointed his wand at where the Ian-Inferius was and held it there for a long moment, staring into the darkness, until he realized that it had been a dream.

_Well, that's certainly good_, he thought. He looked over to the clock by his bed.

_Bugger. I've got work in the morning._

When he was tired, he made mistakes, and the boss was not a big fan of mistakes.

He closed his eyes again…

September 22nd, 1978 AD

10:40 PM

Snape ran along the edges of the crowd, firing curses behind him to keep the Death Eaters at bay.

A silvery fox Patronus emerged from the crowds ahead of him.

"Sev," it spoke with Lily's voice. "I'm dueling the first two Death Eaters close to the stage. I need some help."

Snape pushed his way through the fleeing Muggles — there weren't as many of them now as there were before — towards the stage.

Through the gaps in the panicked crowd, Snape could see Lily taking on two Death Eaters at once, her Shield Charm protecting her from most of their attacks. One of them cast a Killing Curse and she dodged, then sent him smashing through the wooden stage with a burst of silvery light.

Then the remaining Death Eater cast a Killing Curse. A moment later, Lily fell.

_NO!_

His dreams of their life together, the dreams he'd had for nearly a decade, crumbled.

No more fun Potions experimenting, no hours whiled away in the woods or in front of a roaring fire, snuggling and enjoying one another's presence, no wonderful green eyes being the first thing he'd see every morning, no cute dark-haired little kids with those wonderful eyes…

Snape stopped himself. Lily's killer was still standing in front of him.

_Not for long. Sectumsempra!_

Fueled by his rage and pain, the attack did not just cut into the skin and upper layers of tissue. Instead, it cut through skin, both the Death Eater's carotid arteries, his esophagus, trachea, and his spinal cord too.

The Muggle crowd fled the gruesome display and as the sea of humanity parted, Snape could see Lily's corpse lying peacefully on the ground, caked in mud and Muggle blood.

_NO! NO! NO!_

December 3rd, 1978

3:30 AM

"Lily!" Snape screamed as he woke up again. He lay in his bed for a long moment, sweat drying on his forehead.

_It didn't happen. Thank God it didn't happen._

He looked over at the clock again.

_It hasn't even been two hours. If this keeps happening, I won't be able to get much sleep at all._

James Simmons, the Apothecary, could be a good and friendly man, but he was very stern where his employees and his Potions were concerned.

_If I screw up, he'll dock whatever my mistakes cost him from my salary. And he can be very liberal in regards to how much mistakes cost him._

He sighed.

_It's times like this when I'm glad I'm a wizard and a Potions ace._

He got out of bed and made his way to the Potions laboratory Mum had set up in a spare room downstairs.

_Okay. Dreamless Sleep is relatively quick and easy to make. I'll make a small dose, take that, and be fresh in the morning._

He rooted through the various jars and bottles his mother had left scattered around when she and Tobias made their hurried exit from the house after Mulciber and Avery fled Hogwarts.

_Bugger._

Although some of the ingredients were there, others weren't. He wasn't going to be making Dreamless Sleep Potion tonight.

_Blast. If I come to work half-asleep, I'll catch hell._

He made his way to the kitchen and looked in the refrigerator, hoping there might be something to eat.

_That might help me sleep._

There was one roll, some meat, and an apple.

_That's breakfast, then. After work, you need to go grocery-shopping._

There was something else that could help though.

Two bottles of beer sat in the back of the refrigerator. Snape did not ordinarily drink — he had his father's bad example to deter him — but alcohol was a sedative and it certainly could help.

Then he remembered what drinking alcohol to keep the nightmares away had done to his father.

April 8th, 1966

2:00 AM

"Watch out Johnny, they're coming out of the bloody ditch!"

His father's shout tore Snape from his dreams of the wonderful place called "Hogwarts" where everyone was magical and he could play with the other children without Mum worrying he'd do something that would bring in some people called "the Obliviators" and where whether or not there was enough to eat did not depend whether a place called "the mill" being open.

Instead, Snape was in his bed in the row house on Spinner's End and his father was still shouting.

"Damn you, you filthy chink Commie bastard! You'll bloody pay for that!"

Snape could hear a fist striking flesh and heard his mother cry out.

"Tobias," she hissed. "Tobias! Wake up!"

"Huh?" his father mumbled. "Oh. Sorry, Eileen."

Snape heard the springs on his parents' bed squeak as his father got up and, through the cracked door, saw him make his way to the kitchen.

He slipped out and crept toward his parents' bedroom. Through their open door, he saw his mother rooting around.

"Where's he hidden it this time?" she grumbled. She stepped over to the closet and Snape could see that her nose was bleeding.

"Accio wand," she muttered, then bent over and pulled her wand out of a rattling shoebox. "Bloody predictable."

She gestured to her face with her wand and the blood vanished.

"Are you okay, Mummy?" he asked.

She smiled at him. "Yes, Severus. Your father just had a nightmare."

"He has nightmares too?"

"Yes, Severus. Anyone can have a nightmare." She paused. "Now why don't you go back to bed?"

Snape turned and made his way back towards his room. Then he saw the light on in the kitchen below.

_I wonder what Daddy is doing?_

Snape crept down the stairs and made his way towards the kitchen.

_Best be very quiet. Daddy doesn't like to be bothered when he's in a bad mood._

He peeked around the corner.

Tobias Snape sat at the kitchen table drinking a beer. An empty bottle lay on its side on the table.

"Hopefully this'll kick in soon," he said. "Got to get to work tomorrow."

He turned abruptly and looked at his son. His eyes, already beginning to look bloodshot, narrowed.

"What're you doing down here? Get your arse back to bed!"

Snape quickly retreated up the stairs.

December 3rd, 1978

3:45 AM

Snape shook his head.

_Never. I'll never be like him._

He put aside the notion of using alcohol to help him sleep. He retreated back to his bedroom, lay down, and closed his eyes.

Time passed. He still could not sleep. He rose from the bed and made his way to the bathroom.

_Mum tried to find something for Father to take to help him sleep that could get him off the sauce. Perhaps some of it's still here._

It would have been easier to brew a Potion for Father, but the older man mistrusted magical things and avoided Mum's concoctions like the plague, even refusing Pepper-Up when he was ill.

_To be fair, the short-term effects of Pepper-Up can be rather unpleasant, even if they cure colds faster than simply waiting for the immune system to kick in._

He found a box of Unisom tablets and swallowed two.

As he lay waiting for the sleep aid to take hold, he considered what he had nearly been tempted to do.

_Alcoholism is often hereditary. If I'd gotten into the habit of using drink to help sleep, I might never get off._

He smiled.

_After I'm done with work, I'll buy the ingredients for the Dreamless Sleep Potion. That should help._

He continued staring at the ceiling.

_First thing tomorrow, you throw that beer out._

His eyes drifted over to his grandmother's ring, which sat on the nightstand by his bed and mulled his brief brush with temptation.

_Perhaps it would be a good idea to wait a little longer before proposing to Lily, just to be safe._

December 3rd, 1978 AD

10 AM

_Is it three teaspoons of ground scarab beetle or is it four?_

Snape was brewing a Potion behind the counter of the Apothecary for a rather impatient woman who stood watching him.

"I don't have all day, young man," the woman said.

"I understand, ma'am," he said, swallowing his frustrations.

He got out the bag and began scooping, taking particular care to get exactly the right amount per teaspoon.

_Three teaspoons or four?_ Too little beetle might not have the right effect, but too much might alter her mind more than necessary.

His vision blurred and he suppressed a yawn.

_Best to err on the side of caution._

He mixed in the three teaspoons and began stirring.

_One, two three, four, five…_

He then lost count.

_Oh bugger. Too little or too much stirring could ruin the Potion._

Snape knelt and began examining the potion, trying to intuit how much the ground beetle had been mixed in.

"I was told you had a high NEWT in Potions, young man," the woman said. "But you don't seem very competent. Hogwarts education must've declined a lot since I went there. Perhaps it's because Dumbledore doesn't let the groundskeepers beat students who are out of bed. Not enough discipline, I think."

"I'm sorry ma'am," Snape said. "If you can just wait a minute…"

"I've waited several minutes, young man."

"Ma'am…"

He suppressed a yawn. The woman's gaze grew even more scornful.

"If you can't come to work with the pep and vigor needed for the job, Mr. Snape, perhaps you shouldn't be partying all night long."

Snape ground his teeth. _What does this dreadful woman know about what I've been doing?_

"Ma'am…"

"You know, I think I'll take my business elsewhere. Tell James I'll be back next week and let's hope you've improved by then."

She turned around and stormed out. A moment later, Simmons appeared to Snape's right.

"Severus," he said.

_Uh oh._

"Severus, I know that Mrs. Johnson can be an aggravating old besom, but she's been a longtime customer. What Potion was she ordering?"

"A Wit-Sharpening Potion, I think, sir. I would imagine it's because she's old and…"

"You know the rules, Severus. I'm going to have to dock a few galleons from your salary for that."

_Blast._

The Apothecary looked at him. "You don't look well. Have you been sleeping properly?"

"Not really, no. After work, I'm planning on getting the ingredients for Dreamless Sleep and that should help."

He swallowed. _Should I tell him why I can't sleep?_ It was really none of the Apothecary's business, but on the other hand, it might play on his sympathy.

He repressed a frown. _I need no man's sympathy._

"Severus, I know you're doing work for Dumbledore, fighting in the war."

Snape repressed his jaw from dropping.

_How does he know? He knows too much!_

"And that probably keeps you from sleeping as much as you need," he continued. "I'm prepared to be more lenient with you, but the economy being what it is, I can't afford to lose customers over mistakes."

He sighed. "I'll increase your employee discount for Dreamless Sleep Potion ingredients by 3 or for the Potion itself by 1. That should help deal with your problem."

_Wow. That's more merciful than I'd expect._

"Thank you, sir."


	44. Ambush

Ambush

**Ambush**

By Matthew W. Quinn

**Author's Note: **Rosier's armament was inspired by one of the vampires in the first _Underworld_ film. Y'all should go see it — it's good.

December 15th, 1978

9:30 PM

With Fabian Prewett in the lead, the Order of the Phoenix assault team crept along the edge of the Grand Union Canal in Northampton.

Severus Snape, third in line behind Prewett and a new member of the Order — one Sam Cromwell, who graduated a year ahead of him — kept an eye out for Death Eaters.

_The Death Eaters in the city are meeting in a house near the canal_, he thought. _Four or five of them, the whole cell._

His dark eyes crept down the line of Order soldiers behind him. _For once they'll be outnumbered. There are six of us here and another assault team coming up the other way._

He allowed himself a small smile.

_This will be too easy._

Then Prewett raised his left hand.

"Something's not…"

Then a barrage of Killing Curses erupted from the canal.

"Get down!" Prewett roared.

Snape hit the ground, but not everyone was fast enough. He saw Cromwell topple into the canal, life already gone from his eyes,

Six black-clad figures erupted from the canal, hurling a wave of curses at the Order members. Snape, Prewett and several others cast several Shield charms, slowing the Death Eater assault down.

_Putesco!_

Snape watched as his spell caught one of the attackers as he climbed out of the canal. The man fell back into the canal with a moan and although the water briefly stirred, he didn't come back up again.

_Will he drown, or die as his body disintegrates?_ Snape briefly wondered. _Or will he die at all?_

Snape's eyes leaped down the length of the canal.

_Five of us to five of them. _

He watched as Prewett deflected a barrage of curses, then unleashed a roaring firestorm at the Death Eater who had challenged him. The burning man leaped into the canal and didn't come out again.

_Five of us to four of them._

Then one of the Death Eaters cast a Killing Curse at another Order member, a woman who Snape didn't know, and killed her.

_Four on both sides._

Snape watched as John Anderson, who had brought up the rear of the assault force, flicked his wand, slashing open the Death Eater's chest.

_Willing to use any means to achieve victory, even the use of Dark Magic? You'd have made a wonderful Slytherin._

Of course, Sectumsempra was becoming more popular in the Order of the Phoenix. Sarah had taught her brother, who had apparently taught Anderson and some others before he died. The notion of learning the spell still made Lily a bit queasy, while James and his friends had made a big deal out of refusing to use it. Others, however, were less squeamish.

_Perhaps I ought to give lessons. Make myself useful, make some more allies._

He saw another Death Eater approach Prewett from behind. He waved his wand to strike, only to have it jump from his hand.

_Accio!_ Snape retrieved the wand. _Reductor!_ The Death Eater went flying.

However, his planned attack was disrupted. The Death Eater waved his wand, obviously preparing to unleash the Killing Curse…

_Legilimens!_

Snape forced his way into the Death Eater's mind. Waves of memories erupted around him — gruesome Muggle killings, gloating as he read of his exploits in _The Daily Prophet_, the fear he felt in the presence of the Dark Lord…

He felt the Death Eater's mind quailing beneath the weight of the alien consciousness violating its inner sanctums, and heard and felt the man scream.

_Bow to the Half-Blood Prince, you animal! _

Snape roared inside the Death Eater's head and the man fell to his knees.

Through the man's eyes, he saw Prewett turning to face him, wand raised to unleash a curse, and quickly fled.

Back in his body, Snape turned to see a Death Eater dueling Anderson, using both a wand and a whip that forked like a snake's tongue. He saw the whip wrap itself around Anderson's forearm and how the Ravenclaw screamed at its touch.

_Oh no you don't._

Snape forced his way into his enemy's mind.

_The Muggle fell to his knees screaming beneath Lucius Malfoy's Cruciatus Curse._

"_Your turn, Evan," the older man said._

_Evan Rosier stepped forward, an eager gleam in his eyes._

Snape's blood ran cold.

_It's him._

Rosier's mind roared all around him and Snape found himself back in the middle of the battle. Rosier turned to face him, wand and whip up.

"Long time no see, Severus Snape," Snape's former classmate growled. "You'll find I've gotten better since you last tried to get into my head."

Rosier slashed at Snape with his whip.

_Protego!_

The whip slammed into Snape's Shield and though the blow rattled him, the charm held.

Rosier snorted.

"Impressive. I wasn't there the night the blood traitors died, but I heard you tore some of us to pieces with your Dark Magic. Eight died that night and lots were injured, mostly of by you or Jewell."

Rosier paused for a moment.

"Pity about him and Black. They were of noble stock, their present foolishness excepted. At least Jewell's sister is still around." He paused. "She might make a good Death Eater. Or a good wench, if she doesn't see reason."

_Oh no you don't. Sectumsempra!_

Rosier deflected a magical blow that would have disemboweled him.

_Putesco!_

Rosier blocked that too.

"Come on," he laughed. "You'll need to do better than that."

_Confringo!_

Rosier's Shield charm, weakened by the earlier attacks, crumbled beneath Snape's assault. Rosier flew backwards, but managed to recover.

"That's the spirit, Snape," he hissed.

He lashed out with his whip a second time. Snape caught it on his Shield charm again, but that left him open for another attack.

A fireball erupted from Rosier's wand and Snape felt his clothes ignite. The flames kissed his flesh. His attention distracted by the flames, Snape's Shield Charm did not hold and the whip curled around his left arm.

A terrible, burning pain erupted wherever the whip touched his arm. It wasn't as bad as the Cruciatus Curse — there was nothing as bad as that — but it certainly was not comfortable.

Snape bit his lip to keep from screaming. Rosier laughed.

"Come here, you little blood traitor!"

He yanked on his whip, dragging Snape towards him. Snape put out the fires on his clothes, but they were the least of his worries.

"Avada Kedavra!" Rosier cast the Killing Curse and tried to yank Snape into the spell's path.

_Sectumsempra!_ There was a window of opportunity where Rosier couldn't Shield himself.

Rosier shouted as Snape's blow tore his right arm open from his wrist to his elbow. Snape twisted as much as he could and the jet of green light burned past him. The spell slammed into the grass nearby and ignited it.

Behind Rosier, Snape could see Prewett dueling another Death Eater. The Order man had been wounded — there was blood mixed with his red hair — but Prewett eventually subdued and Petrified the man.

Something slammed into the ground behind Snape.

"Got you, you little wanker," Anderson shouted. A quick glance behind him showed Anderson, bloody but unbowed, standing over a Petrified enemy.

Snape allowed himself a small smile.

_The Death Eaters are losing._

Anderson then lunged at Rosier. The Death Eater lashed with his whip and Anderson retreated.

_He obviously knows what that thing can do._

The other Order members, their foes down or gone, began turning their attention to the last Death Eater standing.

Rosier laughed.

"You all may have survived this time, but there'll be a next time. Perhaps Snape will let something slip _again_."

Then Rosier Disapparated.

Snape felt the others' eyes on him.

_What? You can't possibly believe I let the plans for the attack get out!_

December 15th, 1978

9:45 PM

_Two dead_, Snape thought as he watched the bodies of Cromwell and the woman he did not know being removed from the scene. _And three wounded._

One of the Mediwizards swore as a cursed wound inflicted on another Order man Snape did not know by a Death Eater opened up again.

"Damn Dark Magic," the man said. "Wound won't close."

_Dark Magic? I think I might know something about that._

Snape stepped over and knelt by the wounded man.

"Hey!" one of the other Order members shouted. "What's he doing?"

Snape did his best to ignore the man. _Is that Sectumsempra?_ The wound looked like something made with a knife or sword and Snape had cast his trademark spell verbally in the presence of Death Eaters during his school days.

_Best assume that it is._

Snape drew his wand and began tracing the words, making the incantation that sounded like a song.

The man's wounds sealed shut and stayed shut.

The Mediwizard's jaw dropped.

"How'd you manage to do that? Nothing I could do was working."

"I'm an expert in Dark Magic," Snape replied. "It also looks like something my spell had made."

The Order member who had objected shut up, although he kept a suspicious eye on Snape.

Snape glared at the man as he rose to his feet. Then he caught sight of James Potter and Remus Lupin discussing something with Prewett.

_The second assault team is checking in._

He pricked his ears, hoping to find out just what they were talking about.

"It happened to you too?" Prewett asked.

Potter nodded. "They came out of the canal. They must have been using gillyweed or some kind of bubble-charm to stay underwater so they could take us by surprise. Luckily nobody on my end died, although we had some close calls. And that house was empty too."

_They knew they were coming too_, Snape thought darkly.

_We _were_ betrayed._


	45. Witch Hunt

Witch Hunt

**Witch Hunt**

By Matthew W. Quinn

**Author's Note: **The Snape/Remus exchange and the reasoning for it was inspired by Mira Spiegal's story "The Road Home," which is on my Favorite Stories list. The situation with John Anderson is based on some comments by Duj on Chapter 34.

December 28th, 1978 AD

8:00 PM

The Order of the Phoenix sat around a table in the house that once belonged to Sirius Black and now belonged to James Potter, discussing important business.

"The fiasco at Northampton aside, we've actually made a bit of progress checking the Death Eater infiltration of Scotland and the North," John Dawlish said. "Eight Death Eater cells have been scotched in the last three weeks, with fifty Death Eaters dead or in Azkaban. When combined with the annihilation of the last giant tribes, we can say with confidence there is little to no enemy activity north of the Humber."

Severus Snape saw Lily Evans scowl at the mention of the slaughter of the giants. She had written Manchester's representatives in the Wizengamot, exhorting them to support a less savage policy, to no avail. Albus Dumbledore had protested the execution of the giant captives before the full body, also to no avail.

_They're afraid and when they're afraid, they support strong leadership. And that leadership right now is Barty Crouch Sr._

Crouch had expressed his (alleged) reluctance, of course, but he refused to change the Ministry's anti-giant policy. George Garrott, Minister for Magic, had backed him, and that was the end of that.

_Garrott has no spine. He's pretty much turned over the entire war effort to Crouch._

As a result of Crouch's no-mercy policy, the giants of Britain were almost entirely extinct. All that remained were a few isolated individuals, hiding in the mountains and caves from the Aurors, as well as those who had fled to the Continent.

_And so ends thousands of years of giant history in Britain._

Dawlish was speaking again and Snape's ears perked up. "That's the good news at least. You want to present the bad news, Longbottom?"

Frank Longbottom nodded. "The bad news is, based on the latest reports, the Death Eaters are experiencing a net gain in membership _south_ of the Humber. We have reason to believe that there are now over 600 Death Eaters with an average of four or five new Death Eaters per day. We kill or capture a lot of them, but the rate of attrition isn't high enough."

"When your policy is essentially 'join or die,' every victory increases your numbers," Dawlish said. "The obverse is that once you show weakness, those who were forced to join will try to escape. We need to find a way to inflict such a massive defeat on Voldemort that his followers begin abandoning him."

Then someone knocked at the door.

_I wonder who this could be? _

Snape's hand drifted to his wand. Since Dumbledore was the Secret-Keeper, there was no way the location of their meetings could be betrayed to the Death Eaters, but it was always best to be on the safe side.

Someone knocked again.

"Hey everybody, it's John." Pause. "And Remus too."

_Late again? This is the fourth or fifth time this has happened._

He leaned over to Lily and whispered in her ear.

"Neither of them has had problems arriving on time before Northampton. You know what's going on?"

Lily looked a bit uncomfortable.

"I'll tell you after the meeting."

James Potter rose and opened the door. Remus Lupin and John Anderson came in and took the last two empty seats at the end of the table.

"So, does anyone have any ideas on how we might be able to strike at the Death Eaters, to inflict a defeat severe enough to break Voldemort's hold over his men?" Dawlish asked.

"Well, I have an idea on how we can stop predisposing certain populations to join You-Know-Who," Lily said.

"And what might this be, Ms. Evans?"

"Well, at this point it is a little _late_ to conciliate the giants, but if perhaps the Ministry reviewed its policies towards the goblins, we might be able to better secure their loyalty. They're our bankers, after all, so I don't see why they shouldn't have wands. If we allowed them—"

"They already control our banking system, Ms. Evans," Dawlish said. "Limiting wand-use gives us the advantage of physical power, helps keep the goblins from temptation."

"Temptation to do what? Try to take over?" Lily scowled. "I doubt that. Anyway, it's not only the goblins or the giants or the centaurs we need to worry about. What about wizards and witches who sympathize with them? A few months ago, I overheard Regulus Black, who's likely to join up with You-Know-Who as soon as he graduates, propagandizing against the Ministry policy towards the giants and—"

"Don't get any ideas, Ms. Evans. Last time I checked, the Dark Lord does not accept Muggle-borns."

Snape saw red. _What? Is that bastard insinuating…_

He rose to his feet, but was Lily who spoke first. "Disagreeing with the Ministry isn't treason, Dawlish," she said archly. "You would do well to remember that."

Potter rose to his feet. "I agree with Lily. Remember, Dawlish," a warning tone entered his voice, "Last I checked, we still had freedom of speech, emergency regulations or not."

Dawlish recoiled slightly at the challenge. "I never meant to insinuate you didn't," he said. "But one must be careful. We do have a spy somewhere. All the Dark Lord needs is the right lever — Ms. Evans' naïveté, for example, or perhaps Mr. Snape's former associations, or perhaps your desire to preserve your family. You are the last of your line, are you not?"

"All the better for me not to risk the line ending by playing both sides," Potter grated. "Not to mention I'm one of the biggest 'blood traitors' in the known universe. And you obviously know Lily is Muggle-born. You-Know-Who wouldn't even _look_ at her."

_And yet he has no defense for me. Big surprise there._

"You know, Potter, Rosier would be awfully foolish to finger the actual spy in the middle of a fight," Snape said. "They accused me to try to throw suspicion off the real spy, probably someone who nobody would expect."

Potter reddened a little. "I wasn't insinuating you were the spy, Snape."

_Could have fooled me._

"This is a fruitless conversation," Longbottom said. "John, it would foolish to accuse without proof, and the three of you need to calm down. Nobody is going to get put in Azkaban for their views, not while I'm an Auror."

_Well good._

"Now," Longbottom continued. "Ms. Evans suggests we liberalize our policy towards magical beings, to prevent Voldemort from appealing to them on the grounds of 'freeing' them from 'oppression.' That's the Wizengamot's business, not ours, but we can certainly bring the proposals before the full body. Any suggestions on a tactical level?"

"Well," Snape said. "Knock-Turn Alley has a lot items that would interest a Dark wizard."

"You'd know, wouldn't you?" Peter Pettigrew asked.

"Peter!" Lily admonished. Potter elbowed Pettigrew, who fell silent.

"You know, a wise person said poachers make the best gamekeepers," Dawlish said. "Perhaps we ought to listen to Mr. Snape's proposal."

Snape repressed his annoyance at the Auror's remark. "It might be prudent to have people in Knock-Turn Alley and other similar places across Britain, keeping an eye on things," he said. "Magic is only as dark as the user's intentions, but it might be profitable to keep an eye out just the same."

"Is that a task you'd care to take on?" Longbottom asked.

"Perhaps, although I might be too well-known. Also, I _do_ have a day job. It might be better for someone from Law Enforcement to handle that one."

Longbottom nodded. "I'll take that one up with Crouch. We've already got some people in Knock-Turn Alley itself, but there are lesser Dark Arts emporia that could bear watching."

He looked at the others. "Any other ideas?"

For a long moment, nobody spoke.

"Very well. We'll be informing you via Patronus when the next meeting is. Hopefully we'll have some more actionable intelligence soon."

Longbottom then Disapparated, with Dawlish following suit. Others began drifting out the door. Lupin, however, remained alone in his seat at the end of the table.

Lily leaned over. "Come with me. I think Remus should help explain."

Lily led him over.

"Hallo, Lily," Lupin said. "Snape." He nodded, and Snape returned his nod.

"Sev asked what was going on with you being late and all. I thought you should explain."

Lupin sighed. "Is there a way to hide our conversation from the others?"

Snape drew his wand. _Muffliato._

"Done."

Lupin nodded.

"Very well. There's a reason that I'm always told the meeting is half an hour to an hour later than it usually is. To make a long story short, certain members of the Order don't think you're the spy, Severus, they think I am."

_Oh my. This is a new development._

"Because you're a werewolf?"

His face fell. "Yes."

_Makes sense. More and more of the werewolves are flocking to the banner of Fenrir Greyback. The Ministry has had to engage in more and more brutality to keep the housing projects where most werewolves live under control._

"Do they have any evidence for this?"

Lupin shook his head. "They know there's a leak, but don't know who. If they had any evidence, no matter how circumstantial, I'm pretty sure I'd be entertaining a Dementor right now. Instead, they do their best to keep me away from important things." He paused. "Not that they necessarily did the best job tonight, considering I arrived when possible solutions were being discussed, but others times I didn't hear of things until they already happened."

He sighed. "At least James and Peter still trust me."

_Yes. They're busy watching_ me _instead_.

"I don't believe you're the spy, if that means anything to you."

Snape raised an eyebrow.

_How does he know what I'm thinking?_

"You a Legilimens?"

Lupin shook his head. "No. Peter suspects you, due to your interest in Dark Magic and who you used to associate with, and I think James might as well, although he's less vocal about it."

_Pettigrew being vocal and Potter not? Who'd have thought?_

Lupin sighed. "Foolish, that. You turned on the Death Eaters, killed several of them, and are dating a Muggle-born witch to boot."

Lily smiled and Snape's hand drifted to her spine. He stroked her as Lupin continued speaking.

"I doubt at this point there's really anything you could do to buy your way back into their good graces, short of killing Dumbledore himself."

_That's probably what it would take._

Then Snape remembered something.

"Why is John being left out of things? He never wanted to be a Death Eater and he's not a werewolf."

Lupin smiled. "They don't think he's a spy. It's just they don't think he can reliably keep his mouth shut."

Lily giggled and Snape barely suppressed a laugh. _Sometimes that's pretty true._

Lupin sighed. "James, Sirius, and Peter were my first real friends and through them, I made more. Now Sirius is dead and more and more people are turning against me."

Lily smiled and laid her hand on Lupin's. "Don't worry, Remus. I still trust you."

Snape felt his throat beginning to constrict. He forced himself to smile.

_She's trying to comfort him. Don't be so bloody paranoid._

He decided to think about something happier. He reached into his pocket and began toying with the ring his mother had given him to give to Lily.

_I was waiting for just the right time. Thing is, if it turns our organization has a mole in it, having an event like a wedding could be rather dangerous._

It was true that the wedding could be hidden using the Fidelius Charm. However, Lily's family was Muggle and having the Secret-Keeper tell them all individually would be a pain and invitations written by the Secret-Keeper could fall into the hands of Death Eaters. It would be best to wait until the security situation was dealt with.

_That will certainly give me an incentive to catch the rat._


	46. Smelling the Rat

Smelling the Rat

**Smelling the Rat**

By Matthew W. Quinn

**Author's Note:** Sorry for the delay. Been busy and 's been having some notification problems.

January 10th, 1979

8:30 PM

Severus Snape threw himself to the side, barely dodging a Killing Curse.

_Too close_, he thought. _Sectumsempra!_

The Death Eater blocked the curse and retaliated with a blast of silvery light. Snape rolled to the side.

_Again too close._

Then he heard someone scream behind him.

_Oh bugger._

Harrison Martin, another member of the Order of the Phoenix, staggered backward, bleeding from his mouth. It looked like his torso was caved in.

_Got to treat him before he drowns in his own blood._

"Avada Kedavra!"

Snape leaped again, avoiding a second Killing Curse.

_However, I can't fix him if I've got to deal with this rotter._

Snape hurled two Blasting Curses in quick suggestion, followed by Reductor. The Death Eater blocked all three.

_Damn it._

"Avada Kedavra!"

Snape leaped forward, dodging Killing Curse from a different direction. He looked around him, trying to find out who'd thrown it. Order members and Death Eaters were locked in battle all around him and he couldn't see which one had cast it.

He spotted one Death Eater dueling Lily Evans, saw him throw a Killing Curse and miss.

_Oh no you don't. Sectumsempra!_

Snape's spell struck the Death Eater in the side and slashed him from the hip to the ear. He collapsed onto the ground and Lily promptly Petrified him.

"Thanks!" she called out.

"Avada Kedavra!"

Snape threw himself onto the ground, dodging another Killing Curse.

_I'm getting tired out. Won't be able to dodge them forever._

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw an explosion, saw Mary Macdonald tumbling.

"You son of a bitch!" James Potter roared. He hurled a barrage of curses and someone screamed.

_Good one, Potter._

"Crucio!"

Snape tried to block the spell, but was not fast enough. Pain erupted along every bone, the worst pain ever, worse than any "prank" the Marauders had inflicted or the gnawing the Inferi had given him in Oxford. He bit his lip, trying to keep from screaming.

_Won't give the bastard the pleasure._

He heard the Death Eater laugh.

"Crucio!" he called out again. This time, the pain rippled through his muscles. Despite his best efforts, he dropped his wand.

_Bugger!_

The Death Eater laughed. Snape could feel his teeth digging into his lip and tasted blood. If he wasn't careful, he'd bite all the way through.

_Accio!_

He snatched up his wand and saw the Death Eater's eyes widen. The pain lessened for a moment, enabling him to think more clearly.

_Time for something nasty. Putesco!_

The Death Eater moved to block the spell but wasn't quick enough. The spell slammed into him and Snape heard him cry out, saw the whites of his eyes turning yellow.

Then the Death Eater brought his wand up and reversed the spell.

_Shit. The Death Eaters are learning._

CRACK! Someone Apparated in behind Snape.

_Oh bugger. More trouble._

Then he saw the Death Eater step backwards. The others began disengaging from their Order counterparts, some even Disapparating. The remainder drew back into a defensive formation, muttering among themselves.

One word on all their lips was "Dumbledore."

_What?_

Snape turned around and saw Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts and commander of the Order of the Phoenix, standing calmly behind him.

"Dumbledore!" Potter shouted.

_That is obvious, I would think._

The Order formed up around their chief. For a moment, nothing happened.

Then the Death Eaters found their courage.

"There are ten of us," one of them snarled. "Get him!"

The Death Eater lunged, hand already making the movements for the Killing Curse.

Dumbledore flicked his wrist and an invisible fist slammed the Death Eater into the ground. The force of the impact made Snape wince.

The other Death Eaters scattered. Dumbledore flicked his wrist again and what sounded to Snape like a Muggle gunshot echoed throughout the battlefield.

All the remaining Death Eaters collapsed into unconsciousness.

_Like a Stunner, _Snape noted,_ but also like a bomb. Why doesn't he show up every time we have a big battle?_

"James, Remus, Petrify them and send Patronuses to the Ministry," Dumbledore ordered. "Tell them we've got some presents for them."

He turned to the remaining members of the Order.

"Get the wounded back to the headquarters."

January 10th, 1979

8:45 PM

The Order members burst into the kitchen, carrying Martin and another wounded man with them.

"All right," Potter ordered. "Get them on the table here."

He gestured with his wand and sent the tableware and other items flying. The two wounded were soon on the table.

Snape examined Martin, who was pale and whose breathing was dangerously shallow.

_Looks like the Blasting Curse broke a bunch of ribs and those punctured his lungs. At least it wasn't Dolohov's curse._

Snape repressed a shudder. Dolohov was among Voldemort's most powerful and skilled lieutenants, able to defeat Aurors in battle. His curse ravaged the target's internal organs and required extensive treatment. Snape was studying some of the means of treating the curse, but he didn't think himself proficient enough to risk treating it.

_For the present._

Martin coughed, spattering his lips with blood.

_Ugh. Got to fix this quickly._

Snape drew a breath, then began the healing incantation. He saw the injured man's impacted ribs rising upward and his breathing deepen.

_Okay. He's not in immediate danger of dying._

Across the table, Pettigrew administered his own healing magic. The masses of boils covering the fallen man's face sank into his skin and vanished, while the Jelly-Legs Jinx was quickly reversed and the ugly array of cuts and bruises were soon gone.

Dumbledore nodded. "Excellent work Peter, Severus."

_Favoring Gryffindors again? Anyone could have done what Pettigrew just did._

Snape shoved that thought aside for a moment.

_What to do next?_

"All right," he began. "It looks like the immediate problem has been dealt with. However, it might be prudent to give Martin some Skele-Gro to make sure his ribs are fully healed and give them all some Dreamless Sleep potion, to help them rest."

"Yeah," Pettigrew agreed. "The body heals while sleeping."

"Excellent idea," Dumbledore said.

The two of them made their way up the stairs to the room that had been set aside for Potions work.

While Pettigrew began gathering the ingredients for Dreamless Sleep, Snape took the bottle of Skele-Gro from the cabinet.

Something caught his eye.

_It's been opened recently. Odd._

He and Pettigrew had gone out and purchased the Potions supplies only three days prior and there had been no significant action. There had not been any reason why the bottle should have been opened.

He uncorked the bottle and examined the contents.

_Looks normal._

He briefly considered corking the bottle and going to help Pettigrew with the Dreamless Sleep potions, but a nagging feeling at the base of his brain told him otherwise.

_Something is wrong._

Making sure that Pettigrew wasn't watching, Snape brought the bottle to his nose and sniffed it.

_Uh oh._

The potion smelled as foul as it tasted, but it smelled different somehow. Snape knew what ingredients went into Skele-Gro and he knew their smells.

Something was in the potion that did not belong. He took another sniff.

_What the hell? It's been spiked with aconite!_

Pettigrew turned around suddenly. Snape suppressed his urge to jump.

"Uh, Snape, have you got some extra flobberworm mucus? The potion looks a little thin and I've run out already."

Snape shook his head.

"I think there's another bottle in the cabinet below you."

_He should know that. He's nervous about something._

"Thanks."

Pettigrew returned to his work.

_Whew. Okay. Evanesco_!

The poisoned Potion vanished. Snape cast a spell replacing it with pure water and quickly corked it.

_I'll replace it as soon as possible._

He reached into the cabinet and pulled out another bottle of Skele-Gro, the seal still in place.

_Evanesco. _

He removed the seal and cork, then sniffed the potion.

_Good. This one's clean._

He resealed the bottle, set it down, and stepped over to Pettigrew.

"Need some help?"

Pettigrew nearly jumped. The suspicions in Snape's heart hardened.

"Uh, sure."

_He's nervous. It's probably him who poisoned the Skele-Gro._

Snape's mind made the connections.

_We know we've got a leak and now we've got a case of sabotage. It's Pettigrew who's the spy._

For a moment, he considered cutting the other wizard down right then and there.

_Bad idea. That'll "prove" you're the traitor and you'll be snogging a Dementor for the rest of your life. And if you accuse him without proof, he'll know you're onto him and take precautions._

Snape forced himself to smile. "You're nearly done. Should I take them downstairs?"

Pettigrew nodded a little too quickly, then handed him both bottles.

"Thanks, Snape."

Snape collected the Skele-Gro and headed downstairs. As he walked, he discreetly uncorked the two bottles of Dreamless Sleep and sniffed them.

_No poisons that I can detect. And I checked the cabinet earlier today — no poisonous ingredients that wouldn't retain their smell after being brewed into something._

He made his way down the stairs. He handed the first Dreamless Sleep to the man Pettigrew had healed.

"Take this tonight when you get home. The extra sleep will do you good."

He handed the last Dreamless Sleep and the Skele-Gro to Martin.

"It might be prudent to have him stay at St. Mungo's overnight, to be safe."

Martin nodded weakly.

He heard feet on the stairs behind him and saw Pettigrew coming down the stairs.

_I'll have an eye on you, you little traitor._


	47. A New, Friendly Face?

A New, Friendly Face

**A New, Friendly Face?**

By Matthew W. Quinn

January 15th, 1979

6:30 PM

"So, you want to go see _Force 10 from Navarone_ tomorrow night?" John Anderson asked. "The Muggle papers gave it good reviews and my Dad said it's right fun."

"Perhaps," Severus Snape replied. "Depends on whether or not Simmons needs me to work late. Rumor has it there's going to be a big Potions buy from the Ministry, certain medical Potions."

_I hope not. Not only would that mean another late night for me but also that the war's going badly._

"I think the Prewetts are interested in coming too. They're Pureblood — don't interact with Muggles much — so going to see a Muggle movie is something they've never done before."

Snape was about to say something when the door slammed open and James Potter entered, half-dragging a tall, slender man with a sack over his head.

Snape raised an eyebrow.

_I didn't know Potter was into that sort of thing. I wonder what's going on?_

Potter pulled the bag off the man's head. Snape's jaw dropped.

_Regulus Black._

Gasps echoed throughout the room. Wands were drawn.

_They already suspect him of being a Death Eater. They're wise to do that._

"Stop!" Potter shouted, his voice freezing the other members of the Order. "He's a friend."

Albus Dumbledore stepped forward.

"Bringing a potential Death Eater into our headquarters unannounced, Mr. Potter? This is highly irregular, to say the least."

_He must've wanted some drama. How delightfully Gryffindorish._

"We've been corresponding since Sirius died."

Potter stopped for a moment, breathing in and out, before speaking again.

"He's taken the Mark, but now wants to defect."

Muttering filled the room.

"This is interesting," Dumbledore said. "Why, pray tell?"

Black swallowed.

"I took the Mark two years ago, although since I was a student, the Dark Lord didn't have much for me to do until relatively recently."

His gaze shifted to Snape.

"Thanks to Mr. Snape here, Slytherin is no longer a reliable recruiting pool and we've taken more casualties of late, again thanks to Mr. Snape and his slashing spell."

Snape allowed himself a small smile. He saw Anderson and the others who were willing to use Dark Magic smiling too.

"So he decided to use what he had more aggressively."

"They made you go on raids," Dumbledore said.

Black swallowed. "I saw terrible things. They made me do…terrible things, and used the Cruciatus Curse on me when I was less than eager."

Black paused, then continued.

"Many died, on both sides. The Dark Lord wants Purebloods to rule, but he's willing to fight to the last Pureblood to do it. I became concerned that the House of Black would end up being cannon fodder."

Dumbledore nodded.

"Then the Dark Lord wanted a House Elf and, wanting to win back his favor, I allowed him to borrow Kreacher. He needed the elf's help in hiding something important, something I've got in my pocket."

Black reached down.

"Slowly," Frank Longbottom warned.

Black pulled out a golden locket bearing a serpentine "S" made of emeralds.

"This is the locket of Salazar Slytherin," Black declared. "It's a Horcrux."

Snape raised an eyebrow.

_A Horcrux? The Dark Lord is splitting his soul?_

Dumbledore leaned forward.

"How did you get this?"

January 8th, 1979

7:30 PM

Black and Kreacher crossed the underground in the small boat they'd dragged from the depths of the dark lake.

_All right_, Black thought, remembering what Kreacher had told him about the Dark Lord's defenses. _Someone's got to drink that potion to get the locket out, but the potion will make them thirsty and only able to drink the lake's water, which means Inferi._

He looked down at Kreacher. For a moment, he considered having the elf drink the potion for him.

Then he shook his head.

_Poor thing's already been through it once._

The boat arrived at the island and the two climbed out.

"Scoop the potion out with the cup and give it to me to drink. Then get the locket out."

"Yes, Master," the elf replied.

The elf did what he was told. Black drank the potion, cup after disgusting cup.

At first, it wasn't so bad. Despite the foul taste, he managed to choke it down.

Then the visions began creeping in from the corners of his vision.

_Please don't go, Sirius. Mum will calm down, she always does…_

He forced the visions away and kept on drinking. Terrible pains began wracking his body and he nearly threw up.

"Is Master all right?" Kreacher asked.

"Never mind that," Black rasped. "Keep giving me the potion!"

The elf obeyed.

_He's dead. Our blood traitor son is dead. Serves him right!_

_Mum, please. He's your son!_

_You're a better son, Regulus. You always have been…_

Kreacher poured the last of the potion into Black's mouth.

"It's done, Master."

Hands shaking, Black reached into his pocket and pulled out the fake locket.

"Put this in there, Kreacher."

The elf obeyed, switching the lockets. Black smiled.

_It's done now._

Then he fell onto his side. He was thirsty, so thirsty, and perhaps some water would make the visions leave him alone…

"Water," Black gasped.

"Master," Kreacher said. "The Inferi!"

_The house-elf can Apparate, even in here._

"Give me water, then get us out of here," Black rasped. "Apparate!"

Kreacher nodded. "Yes, Master."

The elf Apparated over to the lake and dipped the cup into the dark waters. The Inferi rose around him, grabbing at him with their pale dead hands, but Kreacher Apparated back to Black's side.

Black took the cup and drank greedily. The Inferi shambled out of the lake, reaching for him.

"Out of here," he ordered.

Kreacher grabbed hold of him and they Disapparated from the cavern.

January 15th, 1979

6:35 PM

"Are you aware of any other Horcuxes?" Dumbledore asked.

Black shook his head. "I know the Dark Lord is making more of them, but I don't know what objects are definitely Horcruxes and which ones are not."

Black swallowed.

"However, from stuff he's said, I think he wanted relics from all four of the Founders. That, and some things important to him personally. He had a diary that he said he'd give to the Death Eater who pleased him most, for safekeeping, and mentioned a ring."

Dumbledore was silent for a moment, as though he were deep in thought.

"Thank you, Mr. Black. I think you should give me that now."

Dumbledore reached out and took the locket from Black.

"This changes everything," he declared.

"How so?" Longbottom asked.

"Even if we manage to kill the Dark Lord, unless we find the Horcruxes, he won't be gone forever. There would be a good chance he'll find a way to return when we let our guard down, unless we can destroy the Horcruxes first."

Then Dumbledore smiled grimly.

"That being said, the Dark Lord does not know we know about the Horcruxes. Am I correct, Mr. Black?"

Black nodded.

"He won't unless he goes and checks the cave."

Snape's eyes drifted over to Pettigrew, who looked hungrily at Black.

_He's failed his master_, Snape thought, thinking back to the poisoned Skele-Gro. _The Dark Lord will not be pleased. This information could help him get back in Voldemort's good graces, if it reaches him._

He had already taken his concerns about Pettigrew to Dumbledore. The older wizard had listened patiently, then chided Snape for destroying the tainted Skele-Gro. He said he would keep an eye on Pettigrew but told Snape that it would do him well not to jump to conclusions.

_He said that any member of the Order could have poisoned the Skele-Gro. It's not like the Potions cabinet is kept locked._

Snape could not shake his suspicions. He took his concerns to Longbottom, a Gryffindor but more independent of Dumbledore than Elphias Doge and less suspicious than John Dawlish, just in case.

_In the event of something happening to me, someone less blinded by House concerns might be able to do something about it._

Snape and Pettigrew's eyes locked. He saw Pettigrew's eyes widen incrementally, saw him gulp.

_He knows that I know. Damn it. Should have looked away, let him think me a cowardly Slytherin._

He planned to keep his surveillance of Pettigrew as covert as possible — not even telling Lily, since she was still friends with the Marauders — but that wouldn't work anymore.

Dumbledore interrupted his thoughts.

"Now, Mr. Black, I'd like to speak with you privately."

_He's got a job for Black._ Snape thought for a moment. _Black already has the Dark Mark. He'd make an excellent spy._

His gaze returned to Pettigrew.

_But not if someone burns him._

He thought quickly, watching as Dumbledore led the younger Black away.

_I've got an idea._

"Regulus," Snape said.

Black turned.

"Yes, Sna—"

_Legilimens!_

Black raised mental barriers at the first touch of Snape's alien consciousness. Snape slid along the surface of the other Slytherin's mind, feeling for cracks.

He found one.

_Sirius._

Snape dove into that vulnerability. He saw the Black brothers playing together as children, saw the younger boy's disappointment at his brother being sorted into Gryffindor, saw his secret tears when his brother left home.

He saw him secretly weeping again, this time for his brother's death.

He felt rather than heard Black cry out and fall to his knees. Through Black's eyes, he saw the others drawing wands, saw Lily's horrified expression

He blinked, returning to his body.

"What the hell, Snape?" Pettigrew cried out. "What did you just do?"

"Sev…" Lily Evans said, voice tinged with worry and shock.

"I penetrated Black's mind," Snape said matter-of-factly. "I'm a Legilimens."

_Pity I had to give that secret away. It was necessary._

Muttering echoed throughout the room. Pettigrew in particular looked alarmed.

"That is interesting, Mr. Snape," Dumbledore said. "Why did you feel the need to keep us, and I assume the Ministry, in the dark about this?"

"I taught myself when I was a student, when most in my House were my enemies. Letting this become widely known would risk it getting back to Rosier, Wilkes, and the others."

More muttering. Snape could detect a hint of admiration amid it all and suppressed his smile.

_It's good to be respected._

"The Dark Lord has a reputation as a master Legilimens, does he not?"

Black nodded.

"If I, a gifted amateur, could penetrate Mr. Black's mind with relative ease, do you think the Dark Lord could as well?"

Dumbledore stroked his beard.

"Very wise. I must insist you register with the Ministry, Mr. Snape, but you brought up a very valid point. Thank you for your information."

"You're welcome, sir."

Dumbledore turned to Black.

"I want you to return to Hogwarts and be careful with the other members of your House, particularly those who sympathize with the enemy. Like Mr. Snape, they might have talents we may not know about."

Black nodded.

"I will speak to you when I return to Hogwarts."

Potter nodded to Black. The Slytherin boy put the bag back over his head and Potter led him away.

Silence reigned over the room for a moment.

"Now," Dumbledore said. "To destroy it."

Dumbledore suspended the locket in midair between his two outstretched hands. He breathed in, then out, as if he were steeling himself.

Then he blew on the locket. Halfway to the locket, his breath ignited. A miniature firestorm swimming with serpents engulfed the Horcrux.

Snape's eyes widened incrementally.

_Fiendfyre! He's using Fiendfyre!_

He made a note to learn that spell.

Liquid gold dripped onto the floor as the flames caressed the locket. Beads of sweat appeared on Dumbledore's brow.

The locket popped open of its own accord and the image of a young woman rose out of the flames.

"Brother," she said. "Brother, you…"

Dumbledore's concentration wavered for a split second. The fireball around the locket expanded, more and more creatures appearing.

The elderly wizard narrowed his eyes and brought his hands closer together, forcing the locket closed.

Then the locket began screaming. Although the fact it was closed muffled its voice, Snape could still hear it.

"Albuusssss, you killed me!"

Snape felt the hairs of the back of his neck rise and a quick glance across the room showed him that Lily looked paler than usual, green eyes locked on Dumbledore. The elder wizard's eyes widened, burning with cold blue fire.

The locket disintegrated. Dumbledore inhaled and the fire ceased.

"That was Fiendfyre, one of the few ways to destroy a Horcrux," the elderly wizard declared in a tired voice. "I advise you not to try it yourself, as it is exceedingly difficult to control."

The room fell silent again.

_Dumbledore has a sister. I did not know that. I wonder how the Horcrux knew?_

Then Anderson spoke.

"That was interesting," he said. "Looks like we've got ourselves a real Death Eater defector."

"I wouldn't go talking about that," Snape warned. "This is too important."

"You know," Longbottom interrupted. "Perhaps we ought to make him make an Unbreakable Vow. That'll make sure he doesn't spill the beans."

Anderson looked a little uncomfortable.

"You know, I'd really rather not…"

"Or perhaps we could Obliviate him."

"I really don't think that will be necessary."

"Good," Longbottom said with a smile. "I'm glad we understand each other."

The Auror walked away. An uncomfortable silence reigned at the table for a long while.

_Might be a good idea to lighten the mood._ He looked at Anderson. _Once what Longbottom said sinks in of course._

He allowed another moment to pass.

"You know," he said. "I think I'll go in early to work tomorrow, get my work done early, and see if Lily's up for it."

His eyes drifted over to Lily. She and Mary Macdonald sat together on the other side of the room, engrossed in quiet conversation.

_Either she's still getting her "girl time" in or they're talking about all the Dark Magic and uncomfortable things that have come up tonight. It might be prudent to ask her later._

Anderson nodded.

"That's cool. I wonder if…"

Snape's attention had already left Anderson. It was Pettigrew who occupied him now.

_Something definitely has to be done about him._


	48. Attempted Murder

Attempted Murder

**Attempted Murder**

By Matthew W. Quinn

January 16th, 1979

8:45 PM

Severus Snape got his work done early, so he was able to join John Anderson, Amanda Green, Gideon and Fabian Prewett, and Gideon's girlfriend Miranda Blake for an after-dinner showing of _Force 10 from Navarone_.

_I liked the plot twists, particularly concerning Maritza. But Lescovar seemed too much like Pettigrew for my taste._

He strongly suspected Pettigrew knew that he was onto him.

_I've got to get him, as quickly as possible. For all I know, he's betrayed Regulus already._

He reached behind him to toy with his ponytail — he lately had gotten into the habit of tying his hair back to keep it out of his eyes. He'd worried it made his nose look bigger and uglier, but John and Lily had assured him it didn't and…

"So, what was your favorite part?" Amanda asked her boyfriend.

"Well," Anderson began, "I particularly liked…"

"Get down!" Gideon Prewett shouted. The stocky red-haired man leaped onto Snape and knocked him down. As they tumbled, Snape could see a burst of green light passing through where he had been standing.

"What's going on?" Snape half-shouted, grabbing for his wand.

The other man provided the expected answer.

"Death Eaters!"

He cast a curse over Snape's head. Snape's dark eyes followed the burst of silver light.

_Four Death Eaters on brooms._

The attack sent one Death Eater spinning. The other three retaliated with Killing Curses. Snape and his friends scrambled out of the way, but one of them wasn't fast enough.

"Amanda!" Anderson screamed as he saw his girlfriend fall, eyes dead and glassy.

_Oh dear. John told me that he was going to ask her to marry him, once he'd saved enough for a ring._

One of the Death Eaters laughed.

"Upset your little girlfriend is dead, you blood traitor?"

Then all the man could do was scream as Anderson unleashed the Sectumsempra. His blow cut across the man's abdomen and across his wand hand, disemboweling him and ripping open several veins.

The man toppled from his broom, blood and viscera everywhere.

_Great minds think alike_, Snape thought, recalling the awesome vengeance he had unleashed when he thought Lily had been killed the previous year.

_Now to keep going._

"Andrew!" one of the Death Eaters shouted. He turned to attack Anderson, but Snape struck before the Death Eater could.

_Sectumsempra!_

The curse struck the Death Eater at the hip and cut all the way to the man's temple, spraying him and Anderson with blood. The man fell screaming from his broom but Disapparated before he could hit the ground.

"Eye for an eye, blood traitors!" one of the Death Eaters shouted. He dove at the Order members, firing a curse into the ground that sent them all flying. Snape hurled a Blasting Curse at the man as he tumbled, but his blow missed.

"Now!" the Death Eater called to his remaining fellow.

The second Death Eater cast the Killing Curse. Fabian Prewett shouted a warning and hurled a curse at the Death Eater.

He wasn't fast enough. The spell hit home and Gideon Prewett hit the pavement, dead.

"No!" Fabian Prewett screamed. The Death Eater who made the kill howled in glee and raised his wand.

A moment later, the Dark Mark leered over the busy street.

Prewett hurled a jet of silver light at the Death Eater. The evil wizard blocked the spell but the concussion sent him tumbling. His Disapparated in mid-loop.

The remaining Death Eater took that as his cue to leave. Snape found himself standing alone, the Muggles having fled and the other members of the group kneeling by their dead.

_Pettigrew. It was Pettigrew. He arranged for this._

"Someone's got to make a report," he said. "Stay with them until the Ministry arrives."

He then Disapparated. He had something — someone — to take care of.


	49. Catching the Rat

Catching the Rat

**Catching the Rat**

By Matthew W. Quinn

January 16, 1979

9 PM

Severus Snape materialized in front of the Order of the Phoenix headquarters. He quickly slammed open the door and stormed in.

"Pettigrew!" he shouted. "Where is Pettigrew?"

Lily Evans jumped to her feet.

"Sev!" she half-shouted, paler than usual. "What's wrong? What happened to you?"

"I was out with John and the Prewetts. Death Eaters. Gideon and Amanda are dead."

Lily's hands flew to her mouth. "Oh no!" She fell silent for a moment. "But what does Peter have to do with this?"

"Pettigrew is the traitor," he said flatly. "Lily, there's no time — he saw Regulus and knows about the Horcruxes. Where is he?"

"Upstairs," Lily said slowly. "He said he needed to get something done."

Snape stormed towards the stairs.

"What the hell are you doing, Snape?" James Potter called out from the kitchen. "How can Peter be the traitor?"

_Of course you don't want to believe he's the traitor_, Snape thought bitterly. _He's one of your biggest fans._

"Snape!" Potter shouted. The Gryffindor boy rushed towards him. Behind him, he could see Frank Longbottom.

_I don't have time for this._

Snape Disapparated, materializing in the upstairs Potions laboratory.

_He's not here._

He stepped out of the room and listened. He could hear Potter charging up the stairs, but he could also hear some more subtle sounds in a nearby room.

_He's in there. Probably writing a letter to the Dark Lord._

Snape Disapparated again, materializing a few feet behind Pettigrew.

"Hello, Peter," Snape said, letting a hint of menace into his voice.

_Pettigrew is weak. I'll mess with his head a little, keep him off-balance._

Peter Pettigrew immediately grabbed for his wand, but Snape was faster.

_Expelliarmus._

The wand leaped away. Pettigrew dove for it, dodging an attempt by Snape to put him in a Full Body Bind.

_Expelli—_

Then Snape had to throw himself to the side when Pettigrew cast the Killing Curse.

_What the hell? He's capable of that? Sectumsempra!_

Snape slashed open Pettigrew's arm. The traitor dropped his wand.

_Petrificus Totalis!_

Having paralyzed Pettigrew, Snape snatched his wand just in case. He then stepped over to the desk.

_Now to find something incriminating._

Snape spotted a letter on the desk, the seal still fresh.

_Let's hope this is it._ If it wasn't something incriminating, he might be in a bit of trouble.

He reached out to grab the letter, then thought better of it.

_There might be some kind of dangerous trickery involved. Best open it from a distance._

He slashed with his wand, deftly slitting the seal.

Nothing happened.

_Good. He might not have had time to enchant it._

"Snape!" Potter shouted from the other side of the door. "Snape, you better not be doing something horrid to Peter in there!"

Snape pulled the envelope open and began reading the letter.

_Dear Mr. Rookwood_, he read. _Our mutual friend might be interested in learning that he has a traitor in his organization. One Regulus Black has come to an Order of the Phoenix meeting, offering to defect. Best deal with him quickly, before he lets anything important slip._

"Snape!"

The door blew open and Potter stormed in, Lily and Longbottom close behind. Potter had his wand out and, upon seeing the paralyzed Pettigrew, moved to attack.

_Expelliarmus._

Potter's wand leaped away and Snape repressed a grin.

_Don't like having your old tricks used against you?_

"Stop this!" Snape shouted. "He's passing information to the Dark Lord and I have proof!"

He brandished the letter at Potter like a matador's cape.

"All right," Longbottom said. "Tell us what's in that letter." He narrowed his eyes. "It better be good, or else Dumbledore will be having words with you about assaulting another member of the Order."

"With pleasure," Snape responded.

He began reading from the letter. As he read, their eyes grew wider and wider.

"So you see," Snape said upon finishing. "That's the proof. And when I confronted him, he tried to use the Killing Curse. Only Aurors are allowed to use the Unforgivables, correct?"

Longbottom nodded, jaw set. "Very good, Snape."

He gestured with his wand, freeing Pettigrew. The traitor tried to scramble away from Snape, only to find Longbottom's boot on his neck.

"So, Mr. Pettigrew," the Auror said, all friendliness gone from his voice. "Can you explain this?"

"Treason?" Pettigrew babbled. "Me, a traitor? Nonsense. Rookwood's on our side, he's gathering information for the Ministry…"

"Regulus Black is not a traitor to _our_ organization, Mr. Pettigrew."

Snape watched as Potter slumped against the wall, eyes wide with shock.

_Finally, he gets it._

"How long have you been passing information to the Dark Lord?" Longbottom asked.

Pettigrew shook his head, eyes brimming with tears.

"Very well. Crucio."

Lily's hands leaped to her mouth as Pettigrew screamed and writhed beneath the Auror's assault. After a moment, Longbottom relented and Pettigrew's movements subsided.

"Only a few months," Pettigrew confessed. "They came to me after…"

Pettigrew's words set Potter off. He lunged, veins bulging in his neck.

"Did you tell them where our headquarters was?" he shouted. "Is Padfoot dead because of you?"

"No!" Pettigrew screamed. "They came to me after Padfoot died. I tried to fight them, but there were four of them and I was never strong like you are! They tortured me, told me that Black was dead and you and Remus would be too and then there'd be nobody left to protect me from You Know Who."

"And you just rolled over for them?" Lily demanded angrily.

"No!" Pettigrew screamed again. "I gave them false information, but then they went after my Mum! They tortured her too and —"

"We have no record of such an attack," Longbottom said. "More lies, Pettigrew?"

"No! They modified her memory, made her think she'd been in a Muggle car wreck, but they gave me the pictures! They tortured her, Bellatrix and her big dumb husband did!"

He drew a breath. "I didn't tell him about the Horcruxes!" Pettigrew cried. "I told him about Regulus Black, but that's it. If You Know Who kills Black, he'll never find out we know!"

"You little idiot," Snape grated. "If the Dark Lord goes after Regulus, he'll find out that elf is still alive and interrogate him. He'll find out we know, if he's got any brains, and the Dark Lord is no fool."

A tall shadow fell on the assembled Order members.

_It's Dumbledore._

Albus Dumbledore gazed critically at the cowering man.

"Peter Pettigrew," he said. "I'm very disappointed in you."

Pettigrew broke down in tears completely.

"Should I take him to the Ministry?" Longbottom asked.

Dumbledore nodded. "I believe you should. Mr. Snape, I think you should go as well. Your Pensieve memories will be very helpful."

Dumbledore then swept the others in the room with his gaze.

"I want none of you to speak about what happened here tonight."

"But then people will still think Moony is the traitor," Potter protested. "If something should happen, something that gives them 'proof'…"

"Then I will make sure nothing happens to Mr. Lupin, Mr. Potter. Trust me."

Slowly, reluctantly, Potter nodded.

"Very good. Mr. Longbottom?"

"Yes sir."

The Auror bound Pettigrew and the two Disapparated away. Dumbledore turned to Snape.

"You might want to freshen up a bit before going to the Ministry."

Snape looked down on his clothing. He was covered in dried blood and his clothes — wizarding clothes, but of a Muggle-like style so they could be worn in public without trouble — had been torn.

_Obviously these aren't self-repairing._

"Yes sir," Snape said.

Dumbledore nodded and disappeared down the stairs.

A long moment passed.

"Snape," Potter said hesitantly.

Snape turned, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, Potter?"

"I…I think I owe you an apology."

Snape barely restrained his jaw from dropping.

_What the hell? Where'd this come from?_

"Wormtail thought you were the spy, and I believed him because you're into the Dark Arts. I…I never suspected…"

He swallowed. "I was wrong to try to attack you. I…I've never treated you the way I ought. I'd like to apologize for that too."

This time, Snape couldn't keep his mouth shut.

_You've had it out for me since we squabbled on the train so long ago. You invented that awful nickname for me, you and your friends ganged up on me, and you — however briefly — took Lily away. Why should I forgive you?_

Then he remembered that Lily had forgiven him for his brush with joining the Death Eaters, forgiven him far more easily than he'd thought possible.

He nodded. "Very well, Potter. Very well."

He drew his wand and began cleaning himself up. Lily soon joined in.

_I've got an appointment, after all._

As the two of them vanished away the blood and repaired the tears, Snape thought about the ancient ring he carried in his pocket.

_They killed Amanda before John could propose to her._

He looked at Lily.

_That won't happen to us._


	50. A New Princess

A New Princess

**A New Princess**

By Matthew W. Quinn

**Author's Note:** The scenario was inspired by a suggestion from SnevansDramione in one of the S/L discussion forums in Fiction Alley.

January 20th, 1979

4:45 PM

Severus Snape and Lily Evans both had a day off from work and so they whiled away the afternoon in a coffee-shop in downtown Manchester.

"It's such a sunny day out, even if it is cold," Lily commented.

Snape nodded. _It's been a good week. No additional snow and the wind is down._

His hand drifted to the pocket that held the old Prince family ring.

_Is now a good time?_

He thought back to the two funerals that took place in the days following the capture of Peter Pettigrew, to John Anderson weeping uncontrollably as Amanda Green's ashes were scattered on the Thames near Oxford.

_John thought he had all the time in the world. He didn't._

He slipped his hand into his pocket.

_Now or never._

"Lily," he began.

Then Petunia Evans barged into the cafe.

_Great. She finally tears herself away from_ Coronation Street _just to come interrupt _now _of all bloody times_.

"Lily!" she called out, verging on hysteria. "Lily, Dad's in the hospital!"

_Oh dear._

"What?"

"He collapsed walking home from work. They took him to the hospital. Mum's gone with him and she sent me to get you."

"Oh no!" Lily shouted, hands flying to her mouth. She grabbed her purse and got up, then grabbed Snape by the sleeve.

"Come on, let's go!" she said, pulling him to his feet.

Petunia eyed Snape with distaste. "Does he really need to…?"

"Tuney, this is not the time!"

She shrugged. "All right. Just didn't want to burden him with, you know, _Muggle _concerns."

Snape scowled, a plan already forming in his head. "The fact that your sister and I aren't Muggles will come in very handy. Follow me."

He left the café, heading into a nearby alley.

"Where are you going?" Petunia asked shrilly. "The bus stop is that way!"

Snape sighed with exasperation at the Muggle woman's thick-headedness.

"You are aware," he drawled, "That most witches and wizards have the ability to engage in what you Muggles call teleportation?"

"Oh."

Snape gestured towards the alley with his head. "Come in here and Lily and I can Apparate you to the hospital. Do you know which one he's been taken to?"

"Wythenshawe," she said. "They have a good cardiac unit there."

_Ah._

"You know where that is?" he asked Lily.

She nodded.

"Good."

"I'll take Tuney."

_Thanks. I'd really rather not._

The three of them stepped back into the alley, Petunia wrinkling her nose at the smell, until they were out of sight.

"Okay," Snape said. "Ready?"

Lily nodded and offered Petunia her arm. Petunia took it hesitantly and a moment later, they were gone.

_All right. Destination, determination, deliberation._

January 20th, 1979

4:50 PM

Snape materialized in an isolated spot near the hospital. Lily and Petunia were waiting for them.

"Wow," Petunia was saying to Lily.

_Yep. She definitely had fun._

Then Petunia spotted Snape.

"Of course, traveling by bus wouldn't produce that queer pulling sensation," she quickly added.

_Someone's in denial._

"This isn't the time," Lily said, worry in her voice. "Let's _go_."

The three of them made their way inside and up to Mr. Evans' hospital room. Mrs. Evans was already there.

"Hey," Mr. Evans said.

Lily and Petunia rushed over to their father and hugged him. Snape hung back at a respectful distance.

"Dad, I'm so glad you're all right," Lily said. "Do they know what happened?"

"They think it was a heart attack. I started taking better care of myself after the company's physical, but I guess it wasn't good enough."

He sighed.

"How long will they want you here?" Petunia asked.

"A few days, at least. They want to run some tests and make sure other problems don't crop up. There might even be surgery involved."

He swallowed.

"Don't worry, dearest. I'm sure I'll be fine."

Petunia nodded.

Petunia and Lily spoke quietly with their father for a few minutes and Snape hung back to give them some privacy.

_You know, it's apparently common among Muggles for a young man to ask the woman's father's permission before he proposed._

He restrained a snort.

_Probably a holdover from less enlightened times._

Still, Mr. Evans had been a better father to him than his own father had been.

_I owe him that much respect._

"All right," Mrs. Evans said. "Girls, I think we need to let your father rest for a bit."

The three women filed out of the room. Snape lingered.

"I'll be a moment," he called out to Lily.

"We'll be in the hall," Lily replied.

_Good._

He could hear Petunia wondering aloud what Snape might want to linger for. He perked his ears.

"Perhaps he could heal him," she said. "He's magical like you and he works as your version of a chemist and…"

_Never tried to magically treat a Muggle before_, he thought. Treating non-magical injuries like cuts, bruises, and broken bones would not be that difficult, but cardiac problems were a different matter entirely. He could do just as much harm as good.

_Even if you succeeded in treating him, the Muggles will wonder and ask awkward questions._

He made a note to study the cardiovascular system at the Muggle library in case his help was needed in the future.

"Is there something you'd like to discuss, Severus?"

_He must have already noticed me lingering. Perhaps he already knows what I'd like to ask him about._

"Well, sir, now might not be the best time…"

"Oh don't worry about it," Mr. Evans replied. "I'm fine now, unless you're planning on unduly stressing me."

Snape swallowed. "Well, I hope what I'm about to ask you won't stress you. I was going to ask your permission for…"

"You to ask Lily to marry you?" Mr. Evans finished.

Snape barely restrained his jaw from dropping. He leaned forward, making sure nobody was nearby.

"Sir, are you sure you're a Muggle?"

Mr. Evans smiled.

"Pam and I figured you wanted to marry Lily since you were twelve."

Snape allowed himself a small smile. "A little earlier than that, sir."

"We weren't initially quite sure what to make of you," Mr. Evans said. "Lily had been doing some things that, to be truthful, frightened us a little. Then Lily started spending time with you and Petunia came home crying, saying you had attacked her and..."

"Sir, that was unintentional."

_Not that she didn't deserve_ something _for what she said about me wearing my mother's clothes._

"That's what we figured eventually, after Lily and Petunia got into an argument — I think it was over a brush — and one of Petunia's dolls exploded in the middle of it."

Snape repressed the urge to laugh.

_Petunia, always on the receiving end of unintentional magical shenanigans._

"Lily brought you over and you explained the entire situation to us. Very helpful of you, Severus. I'm under the impression most parents of Muggle-borns aren't told of what's going on until it gets closer to the time the children go to Hogwarts."

"Thank you, sir."

"Now, to answer your question…"

Mr. Evans paused and Snape began to worry.

"I would be proud to have you as a son-in-law."

"Th…thank you sir."

Mr. Evans smiled back.

"I think Lily is waiting for you out in the hall."

_I guess that's a subtle hint on his part._

"Yes sir."

He nodded and made his way out of the room. Petunia and Mrs. Evans had already left, but Lily was still there.

_Well, I've secured Mr. Evans' permission. Now how will I go about proposing?_

Then he had an idea.

_Fun, and deeply symbolic._

"Lily," he said. "Want to go by the old park?"

"Sure."

January 20th, 1979

5:30 PM

Snape and Lily materialized in a grove of trees near the old playground, well out of sight of any curious Muggles.

Snape squinted, trying to see if anyone was there.

_Place is deserted. Excellent._

He stepped out of the shade and Lily followed.

"Would you care to go swinging?"

"Sev, we haven't been swinging in years."

_Oh no? Is she upset?_

"But one can never be too old to have fun," she finished.

She smiled, soothing Snape's nervousness for a moment.

The two of them made their way to the swings and sat down. Snape worried for a moment if the swings could support them now that they were both adults, but was pleasantly surprised that they did.

_Perhaps they were designed to make allowances for mothers swinging with children._

The two swung for awhile. As he did, Snape wondered just how he would go about proposing. As he swung, he felt the ring shift in his pocket.

_Perhaps a little history would make a good segue._

Snape got up, the lump in his throat so big he thought it was visible.

"You ready to go?" Lily asked, appearing slightly puzzled.

"No," he said. "Keep swinging."

He stepped over and pushed her. As he pushed her, he began his tale.

"The Muggles' wars often spawn similar conflicts in the wizarding world," he began. "And my great-great-grandfather, Jacob Prince, fought in one of them."

"Hmm…that would put it in the 1870s, right?"

"Close. A little later, during the 1880s. The Ministry sent Jacob Prince and three others to the Sudan, disguised as Muggles. Rumor had to that the Madhi was a wizard who was making himself a ruler of Muggles, a big-time violation of the Statute of Secrecy."

"That's interesting. Never heard of that before."

"It's not well-known — the Ministry likes to keep its involvement in Muggle politics to a bare minimum."

He swallowed again, then he continued.

"The Madhi was a Muggle, although he had a couple of wizard allies, turncoats from the Egyptian equivalent of the Ministry for Magic who wanted to establish their own Ministry in the Sudan. Things got a bit hairy and one of the wizards with Jacob got killed, but they were able to put down the rogues, leaving the British Muggle military to handle the rest. That ended badly, but at least the Statute of Secrecy remained intact."

Then he caught the swing, stopping her. He dropped to one knee, and pulled the ring from his pocket.

Lily twisted in the swing to face him. "Sev," she said, momentarily confused. Then her jaw dropped when she spotted the ring.

"Lily," Snape said thickly. "He bought this ring soon after he returned from the war, for the woman who became my great-great grandmother. It has been passed down through many generations of Princes and I would like it very much if you were to become its new owner — my wife. Lily Evans, will you marry me?"

_Please say yes, please, please say yes, please…_

"Sev," she began.

_Please don't say no, please, please, please, please…_

"Sev, I would love to."

She reached down, took his hands in hers, and pulled him to his feet. Then they kissed, as passionately, as deeply as Snape had always imagined. As they kissed, their hands intertwined and, fumbling, Snape managed to get the ring onto her finger.

_Thank you, God._


	51. The Greater Good

The Greater Good

**The Greater Good**

By Matthew W. Quinn

**Author's Note:** I recall something similar to the "fiancé" exchange in Sindie's story "The Moment It Began."

January 25th, 1979

8 PM

"I wonder," Severus Snape said as he and Lily Evans stood outside the door of the Order of the Phoenix headquarters. "How we will break the news of our engagement to the other members of the Order?"

_Particularly Potter_, he thought. The Gryffindor boy seemed happy with Mary Macdonald and his apology for his years of Snape-abuse had caught him off-guard, but he wasn't going to trust the other boy. _He dated several girls sixth year in an attempt to make Lily jealous. What if Mary Macdonald is another such project?_

"Oh, don't worry," Lily said. "If you're concerned they're going to think me mad for being engaged to a Slytherin, don't be. You're a member in good standing of the Order."

She smiled. "I wonder how Mary and Marlene will react? They've got boyfriends, but I've got a fiancé."

She leaned up and kissed him as she said that. Snape allowed himself to smile.

"Say that again," he whispered.

"Fiancé," she said, leaning close.

"Again."

"Fiancé," she said, sliding her arms around him.

Snape allowed his smile to grow, until he saw Peter Pettigrew behind them, making gag-me gestures with his wand.

"Lily, watch out!" Snape shouted, hand leaping to his wand.

"What?" Lily asked, momentarily confused. When he eyes followed Snape's to Pettigrew, she soon had her wand pointing at the traitor as well.

Pettigrew stepped back, casting Shield charms. "Stop it!" he cried out. "I'm here on Dumbledore's authorization!"

"Why should we believe you?" Lily demanded. "You tried to have Sev killed!"

"He's telling you the truth," Albus Dumbledore said, emerging from the darkness behind Pettigrew. The traitor visibly relaxed.

"Mr. Pettigrew, go inside. Lily, Severus, I will explain."

Pettigrew quickly slipped inside.

"All right," Snape demanded. "What's going on?"

"You two, Mr. Longbottom, Mr. Potter, and I are the only ones who know that Mr. Pettigrew has turned traitor and as far as I know, this discovery is not known to the Death Eaters."

_Ah_, Snape thought, making the connection. _We've turned him._

Dumbledore sighed.

"I would prefer to leave the task of giving Voldemort what appears to be valuable information while withholding the essentials to someone more trustworthy and deeper in Voldemort's confidences than Mr. Pettigrew, but things did not work out that way."

_He'd have probably preferred Regulus._

"And in the meantime, we've got to pretend the rat is still our friend?" Snape asked, anger in his voice. He remembered how John had cried over Amanda's corpse and hadn't stopped for days.

"Sev," Lily said. "It's for the good of the war effort. You're a Slytherin, surely you remember the dictum about using any means to achieve your ends?"

_Being lectured on Slytherin values by a Gryffindor? This isn't something that happens every day._

"He should still be punished," Snape grated.

"If his service to us has not outweighed his sins by the war's end, he will. Let me reassure you, his interrogation was not an easy one. They used two of the three Unforgivables, and nearly used the third when he turned into a rat in an attempt to escape." Dumbledore frowned for a moment. "An unregistered Animagus, right under our very nose," he mused.

Snape's gaze drifted over to Lily. The two locked eyes.

After a moment, they both nodded.

_No need to expose Potter._

"Enough of this," Dumbledore said. "We have business to attend to."

The three of them entered the Order headquarters. Snape and Lily took their seats opposite James Potter, Mary Macdonald, and Peter Pettigrew. Snape noticed that when Pettigrew sat down next to Potter, Potter got up and sat on the other side of Mary, leaving an empty seat. Pettigrew looked downcast.

_Serves him right._

Some feminine chatter erupted to his right and Snape's gaze drifted over.

_It's Lily and Marlene McKinnon._

Lily was showing Marlene her ring.

_Oh my. I was hoping she'd talk to Mary first._

Despite being Potter's girlfriend, Mary had never treated him disrespectfully, while Marlene had made unflattering comments his interest in the Dark Arts in general and the Flesh-Rotting Curse in particular.

"All right," Dumbledore began. "This meeting of the Order of the Phoenix has officially begun. Mr. Longbottom will update us on the current situation."

Frank Longbottom got up and stood next to Dumbledore.

"All right," the Auror said. "The good news is the gang of Death Eaters who were robbing banks in the North has been disposed of. Four dead and two in Azkaban, with only one casualty on our side."

_That's good. They're less likely to disrupt Lily or me._

"We've also been interrogating captured Death Eaters for information about the...recent intelligence coup. We haven't found much so far, but we do have some clues."

_The Horcruxes._

"However, not all news is good. The Death Eaters have launched offensives in Wales, the Southeast, and just south of the Humber. They killed eighteen wizards last week, along with twenty Muggles, and we have reason to believe twenty took the Mark as a result of the last terror campaign."

_We've got to inflict a big defeat on them. Their victories mean more Death Eaters, which mean more victories._

Someone rapped on the door.

"Three guesses," John Anderson said.

Dumbledore gestured with his wand and the door swung open. Anderson sat next to Snape, while Lupin sat between Potter and Pettigrew.

_Totally oblivious._

"I can't go into details right now, but we'll be launching a counteroffensive soon. Orders will go to every member via Patronuses from Doge and me…"

As Longbottom continued, Anderson leaned close.

"Severus," he whispered.

"Yes?"

Anderson pointed to Lily and Marlene, who was examining Lily's ring.

"You popped the question?"

Snape nodded.

"Good job."

Then Anderson's face fell. Snape swallowed.

_Painful memories. What he meant to do, but didn't, and now can't._

"Okay. Before you all leave, I'd like to speak to individual members about the planned counteroffensive."

The meeting began breaking up.

Snape saw Pettigrew try to slink out of the meeting, only to be collared by Dumbledore and taken aside.

_Probably telling him what he wants him to relay to the Dark Lord._

Meanwhile, Lily went straight for Mary and the two women started chattering. As soon as Mary spotted Lily's ring, the squealing began.

_Oh no. Just what I was afraid of._

He loved Lily of course, and Mary was nice, but the girly-screaming fests tended to get on his nerves.

Snape's eyes drifted over to Potter, who stood nearby.

_I wonder how he's taking it?_

Their eyes locked for a moment. Then Potter gestured with his head at the girls and rolled his eyes.

_Wow. He's not being all envious and upset. I'm shocked._

"Hey tere, Snape!" a deep voice boomed behind him.

Snape spun, hand diving for his wand. When he saw who it was, he relaxed slightly.

_Hagrid. Don't see him at the meetings very much, particularly during the school year._

"H…hallo there," Snape said, caught off-guard.

"Congratulations on bein' engaged," the half-giant declared, reaching out to shake Snape's hand. His much larger hand swallowed Snape's hand and wrist.

_How does he know?_

Lily and the half-giant were both Gryffindors, but news of her engagement had not had much time to circulate.

_Perhaps he noticed Lily with the ring. Just because he seems ignorant and loud doesn't mean that he doesn't pay attention._

"I had my doubts about yeh, bein' Slytherin and all, but yeh seem like a good kid," Hagrid continued.

Snape allowed himself a small smile, but the half-giant continued.

"But I've got ter say this, just ter be safe. Don't yeh break her heart, Severus Snape, or yeh'll have me to deal with."

Snape nodded quickly.

_You really don't want to piss Hagrid off._


	52. War of the Rats

War of the Rats

**War of the Rats**

By Matthew W. Quinn

February 5th, 1979

7 PM

_And so begins the great Welsh counteroffensive_, Severus Snape thought.

He and Fabian Prewett crept alongside a warehouse near the Harbour Railway in Bristol. Peter Pettigrew had been so kind as to tell the Death Eaters that the Order of the Phoenix and the Aurors were going to attack in Bristol, but he had given the Dark Lord the impression that the attack would be focused on Redcliffe and Broadmead.

_It won't be that hard for the Death Eaters to cross the river, but we'll have gotten a jump on them and hopefully taken out several before help could be summoned._

According to the intelligence they'd managed to gather, the Death Eaters had secreted large stashes of various Potions in the warehouse, defended by a squad of Death Eaters and one of Britain's few surviving giants.

_If they're willing to risk one of the giants to protect it, it must be a pretty darn big stash_, he thought. _Probably lots of illegal Potions, poisons and the like._

The two of them arrived at the warehouse door. Snape examined it and found there weren't any magical enchantments, only a common Muggle door lock.

_Awfully foolish of them. They must be getting overconfident._

Snape drew a breath. All that remained was to wait for the signal and then he and Prewett — as well as another pair of Order fighters he was told were approaching from the other side — would strike.

A moment passed. Snape scowled.

_They're taking long enough._

Then a gunshot cracked from somewhere else in the docklands. Snape's ears perked up.

_Pop! Pop! Pop, pop, pop!_

"Go!" Prewett hissed.

Snape nodded. Muggle gunfire wouldn't be too out of place in the Bristol docklands, so the Order had felt comfortable using that as a signal to begin the attack.

Snape tried the door. It was locked.

_Perhaps they're not _too_ overconfident. Alohomora!_

Prewett tore the door open. Two Death Eaters were there inside.

The first fell to Snape's Sectumsempra with a gurgle. The second Death Eater grabbed for his wand but joined his comrade on the ground with a slashed-open throat before he could draw.

_Two down. Good thing I got to them before Prewett did._

Making quick, quiet kills was not one of Prewett's strong suits. Prewett would have unleashed a Blasting Curse that would knock down the entire building on top of the Death Eaters.

_However satisfying and effective that might be, the first part of the plan depends on speed and stealth, not raw power._

They transfigured the two dead men into large rocks and set them by the door, then warded the door closed. They made their way down the corridor, moving from obstruction to obstruction.

_No Death Eaters so far. Perhaps the other team has got the worst of the lot._

That probably would not be good. If the members of the other team weren't as skilled at keeping quiet as he was _and_ had to deal with more Death Eaters…

_Things could get very bad._

"Hey!" someone shouted. Snape moved to shield himself, but a spell slammed into him and sent him flying.

Snape tried to scramble up as soon as he hit the ground but found that he could not.

_I've been Petrified. This is not good._

Luckily, Prewett was able to shield himself in time. He fired two blasts of silver light at the Death Eater. The enemy was able to deflect one of them, but the second blast hit him in the face. The blast twisted his head all the way around and Snape could hear a wet crack as the man's neck broke.

Prewett gestured with his wand, freeing Snape.

"Be more careful," he said.

Snape reddened.

_I don't need_ you _to point that out._

"Do you think he was able to raise an alarm?" Prewett asked.

Snape shook his head. "The Death Eaters don't use Patronuses like we do. Still, it would be best to move, in case someone should come investigate."

Snape transfigured the dead man into another rock and kicked it aside. Meanwhile, Prewett moved forward, looking for additional Death Eaters.

Luckily, as they searched the corridors leading to the central chamber of the warehouse, they didn't find anyone.

_Looks like the rat kept faith. If he betrayed us, the place would be crawling with Death Eaters._

Snape allowed himself a small smile.

_Perhaps they made Pettigrew make an Unbreakable Vow? That would keep him from betraying us_, ever.

They came to a set of doors.

"Ready?" Prewett asked.

Snape nodded.

Snape and Prewett stepped into the cavernous interior of the warehouse. Something huge stirred behind an enormous stack of crates. Snape felt his heartbeat accelerate.

_That's the giant._

"Quietly," he whispered to Prewett. "We need to get the drop on it."

They made their way across the open space, Snape whispering the spells needed to reveal the presence of nearby humans. Luckily, other than the giant, they were alone.

Behind the crates, the giant grunted and shifted again.

"Do you think it's asleep?"

"Perhaps, but we shouldn't get our hopes up."

Snape frowned.

_It might be a good idea to Apparate to the top of those crates._

He shook his head.

_If that thing is asleep, that'll definitely wake it up._

The two crept closer. Gears were already turning in Snape's mind about how to deal with the giant.

"All right," he whispered. "We attack from opposite directions. You hit first and when it turns around to attack you, I'll cut it off at the knees."

Prewett nodded. "Good idea."

The two of them circled around the stack of crates. As Snape made his way around, his heart sank.

_It's awake._

The giant turned to face him.

"Who're yeh?" he rumbled.

_Sounds a lot like Hagrid._

Behind the giant, Snape could see Prewett moving into position.

_Got to keep its attention._

"Well, like many of your colleagues, I'm a Slytherin and…"

"What teh 'ell is a _colleague_?" the giant growled.

_Obviously not a beneficiary of a Hogwarts education._

"Friend. Like many of your friends, I'm a Slytherin and…"

"Yer not in uniform."

"Well, no…"

"Tey said ter Order of the Phoenix might be about tonight!"

The giant rose to his feet, towering over Snape.

_Damn it. So long as it's facing me, I can't cut its tendons easily._

The giant then roared, shaking the rafters.

_Oh crap. That'll bring in any Death Eaters still in the building. Sectumsempra!_

Snape slashed the giant across the belly, hoping to disembowel it, then struck for its throat.

_Damn._

His spells cut the giant's thick hide, but did not do significant damage.

_Giants are tough buggers._

Behind him, Prewett struck. His Blasting Curse slammed into the giant, knocking it forward.

_Oh dear. _

Snape dashed out of the way, to avoid behind crushed underneath it.

The giant stumbled, but it did not fall. It turned to face Prewett, seized a crate, and hurled it at him.

Prewett leaped to the side. The crate slammed into the ground and exploded, shattering the bottles of Potions inside. The colorful concoctions mixed together, starting several small fires.

_Damn and blast. If that thing keeps it up, the whole place will come down._

Snape unleashed a barrage of Reductor and Blasting Curses at the giant's head, hoping to knock it out or disorient it.

The giant stumbled sideways, bleeding from one of its ears. It growled at him and seized an enormous broadsword laid against the stack of crates.

_Oh dear._

It swung the sword, the blade falling like a thunderbolt.

Snape leaped to the side but wasn't quite fast enough. The blade tore away most of his coat and some skin off his left arm.

_Damn it._

Above him, Snape could see Death Eaters rushing out onto the catwalk.

_Don't have time to deal with this. Reducto!_

Snape's curse smashed the railing, the flying metal forcing the Death Eaters back.

He turned and hurled more curses, this time at the giant's kneecap. He saw the joint crumble beneath the blows. The giant fell forward onto its good knee, murder in its eyes.

"Get you," he growled, swinging his sword. Snape danced out of the way, barely avoiding a blow that would have gutted him, then leaped again as a Killing Curse from the catwalk above slammed into the ground near him.

_We've got to deal with those people._

Prewett struck again, a Blasting Curse slamming into the back of the giant's head. The creature toppled, its final collapse shaking the ground.

"Okay," Snape called out. "Up to the catwalk!"

_Destination. Determination. Deliberation._

Snape twitched, but did not Disapparate.

_Blast._

"Anti-Disapparition jinxes," Prewett volunteered.

_Probably._

"We'll have to take the stairs."

_Definitely._

The two of them rushed towards the stairs, weaving through a rain of curses fired by the Death Eaters above them.

_Let's hope the other group got in all right._

Firing curses to drive the Death Eaters back, Snape and Prewett began ascending the stairs. They only got a third of the way up before one of the Death Eaters managed to get close enough to retaliate.

_Not this again_, Snape thought as the Death Eater gestured and a swarm of angry rats erupted from his wand. The rats poured down the stairs like a black squeaking wave towards Snape and Prewett.

He slashed through the swarm with Sectumsempra, decapitating or dissecting dozens of them. Beside him, Prewett smashed rats to a pulp with blasts of silver light.

_Careful. Don't want to destroy the stairs._

"Avada Kedavra!"

Snape flung himself to the side as a jet of green light flashed down the stairs between him and Prewitt.

_Hung up in the rats like this, we're easy targets._

A pair of rats fastened onto his leg and started biting.

_Time to even the odds. Serpentsortia!_

He slashed with his wand and instead of the burst of light that cut its targets to pieces, a dozen snakes leaped from his wand. They lunged for the rats with gusto, striking and moving on. Some of them even managed to reach the Death Eaters above them.

_Turnabout's fair play_, Snape thought as he watched the Death Eaters firing curses at the snakes. _Hopefully those are nice and poisonous._

With the Death Eaters distracted, Snape resumed hacking through the rat swarm with Sectumsempra, stopping periodically to blast rats off himself or Prewett. Slowly, they forced their way up the stairs towards the Death Eaters.

"Avada Kedavra!" Snape ducked and felt the heat of the Killing Curse as it passed over his head.

_Sectumsempra!_

The Death Eater deflected the curse, only to be sent flying by a Blasting Curse from Prewett. Snape saw blood spattered on the wall and stairs.

_You guys killed his twin brother. He's not going to be happy about that._

Now there was only one Death Eater left standing in their way. As Snape and Prewett approached, the terrorist cast several stationary Shield Charms, turned, and ran towards the open door on the other side of the catwalk.

Straight into Remus Lupin's fist. The Death Eater went down, out cold.

"Good evening Fabian, Snape," Lupin said as he stepped out onto the catwalk. Behind him was an Order member that Snape did not recognize.

"Good evening, Remus," Prewett said. "The rest of the building secure?"

Lupin nodded. "Three Death Eaters. We killed one, Petrified two. You?"

"Three Death Eaters. Snape killed two, I killed one. They've been Transfigured into rocks for security's sake."

Lupin nodded. "Excellent."

He gestured with his wand and a silvery unicorn bounded away. "Time to find out how the others are doing."

A long moment passed.

_Lily had to work late tonight_, Snape thought. _She's not here and if any Death Eaters had the bright idea of attacking her at her job, they'd be recalled here to deal with us._

Of course, John Anderson was with one of the larger, more Auror-heavy strike teams attacking the places in Bristol where the Death Eaters were expecting trouble. Anderson hadn't taken Amanda's death well and might do something rash.

_Mary Macdonald is on that strike team as well. If something should happen to her, Lily would be most upset._

Snape inhaled, then exhaled.

"Did you ward the doors on your end?" he asked.

Lupin nodded. "We did."

He thought for a moment.

"It would be prudent to return to the doors, in case the Death Eaters should force their way back inside."

Lupin closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them again.

"Anti-Disapparition jinxes."

Snape nodded.

Lupin turned and made a series of gestures with his wand. He closed his eyes again, frowned, and made several more, sweat beading on his forehead.

He inhaled.

"They should be gone now."

CRACK! Lupin was gone. A moment later, his companion followed.

Snape turned to Prewett.

"It would be wise to return to the door. While we're at it, we can Transfigure those rocks back so we can claim those Death Eaters as bounties."

Prewett nodded.

_Destination. Determination. Deliberation._

February 5th, 1979

8:30 PM

The response to Lupin's Patronus finally arrived over an hour later.

A silvery-white flamingo pushed its way through the warded door that Snape guarded.

He raised an eyebrow.

_I've never seen that Patronus before._

The bird opened its mouth and when it spoke, it spoke with Mary Macdonald's voice.

"The rest of the area is secure. Seven Death Eaters killed and many wounded. At least ten prisoners, although many of them got away. The Department of Magical Law Enforcement is en route to take control of the site."

The flamingo paused. "Two dead, Sam Gilly and John…"

Snape's heart skipped a beat.

"John Masters."

_Good. Nobody I know._

"And four or five wounded, none seriously. Longbottom congratulates you on your part of the mission."

Snape allowed himself a small smile.

"Orders are to stay in your places until DMLE arrives. Then give statements and you can go home. You'll be debriefed more formally by Patronus later."


	53. Wedding Planning

Wedding Planning

**Wedding Planning**

By Matthew W. Quinn

**Author's Note: **Thanks to Sindie for explaining the finer points of female wedding planning and serving as a beta reader.

March 10th, 1979

12:30 PM

"Li-_ly_," Petunia Evans protested as her sister handed her the wedding dress. "This is the sixth dress you've tried on today!"

Lily Evans, her sister and mother, Mary Macdonald and Marlene McKinnon were shopping for wedding dresses at a shop in the Manchester Arndale. They had been at it all day.

"Honestly, this whole thing is way too fast," Petunia continued. "Snape" — she barely hid her dislike — "proposed to you in January and you're getting married in April. You two have barely dated two years and…"

"We've been friends for ten," Lily said. "Tuney, you don't need to worry."

"All right," Petunia said. "Just looking out for my little sister."

_Is she sincere or just engaging in her usual Sev-bashing?_

Lily decided to ignore her. She picked up and examined another dress.

It was white — as generally expected — and the bodice was heavily sequined. The shoulders were puffed.

_This one seems promising._

"How about this one?"

Petunia scrunched her face as she examined it.

"Too many sequins," she commented. "But I think it would fit well around your shoulders. Of course, there's no way to know for sure unless…

"You try it on," Mary finished.

Lily returned to the dressing room and put the new dress on. She posed a little in the mirror, examining how she looked.

_Wow. I really like this one._

She leaned forward, examining how the dress accentuated her chest.

_Sev will love this_, she thought with an impish grin. _Still, it'd be best to see what the others think._

Lily emerged from the dressing room wearing the new dress. Mary and Marlene cheered.

"This is the best one yet!" Mary exclaimed.

"Yeah," Marlene said. "Lily, you look lovely."

Lily turned to her mother and sister.

"What do you think?" she asked. She turned around once.

_Got to give them a good view._

"I agree with them," Mrs. Evans said. "This is the best one."

Lily smiled.

_Glad she likes it._

"It's nice," Petunia said. "Took us awhile to get there..."

_Gee, thanks, Tuney._

"But I think it looks very nice on you."

_Wow, she's_ not _being critical? This is an improvement._

"The fact that this is the seventh dress is a good sign," Marlene said. "Seven is a very significant number in magic and…"

"Magic," Petunia declared disdainfully. "I thought there wasn't going to be any magic at the wedding, so we _Muggles_ wouldn't see and…"

"Petunia," Marlene said. "If your other relatives see too much, they'll have to be Obliviated and that would risk damaging their minds. It would be best to…"

Petunia huffed and Marlene rolled her eyes.

"At least we've got all the arrangements made at the church," Mary said, clearly trying to change the subject.

_Yep. Father Harrell was most accommodating._

"I don't see why we couldn't have the wedding at _our_ church," Petunia said.

"Where we hardly ever go," Lily interjected. "Sev's family has been more involved at their church than we've ever been at ours."

Petunia muttered something about being on relief from that church.

_All right_, Lily growled mentally. _Enough is bloody enough._

"Tuney, you've been a proper stick-in-the-mud all day. If you can't be pleasant, why don't you just leave?"

Mary and Marlene winced.

"Lily," Mrs. Evans interjected. "I think…"

"Have it your way, Lily," Petunia said. She turned to leave.

"Petunia," Mrs. Evans said. "It's you who's been unpleasant. You ought to be happy for your sister and if you're still upset you didn't get to go to Hogwarts too after all these years…"

Petunia turned beet red, scowled, and stalked off.

"Tuney," Lily said sadly. Mary stepped over and comforted her.

"I'm sure she'll come round," Mary said. "Dad told me my uncle was upset he didn't get to go to Hogwarts too, but they're the best of friends now and…"

"You know," Marlene said. "If Petunia won't make a proper bridesmaid, I'm sure we can find…"

"No," Lily declared. "Tuney is my sister and…"

"Girls," Mrs. Evans said. "Now is not the time." She paused. "What do you think of the dress?"

Lily looked down at herself.

_It really is quite lovely._

"Let's go with this one," Lily said.

The women all nodded. They made their way to the counter and paid for the dress.

"All right," Mrs. Evans said. "We've still got a few more things to buy."

She handed some pound notes to Marlene and Mary.

"It would be faster if we split up and purchased some of the items we've already agreed upon. Let's meet up at the food court at 1:15 or so."

Mary and Mrs. Evans set off towards their shops.

Only Marlene lingered.

_She probably wants to talk about something._

She frowned.

_Is it about Petunia acting up?_

"Is there something you'd like to talk about, Marlene?"

Marlene nodded.

"Is it Tuney?"

She shook her head. Lily felt her heart sink.

_Is this about Sev?_

Although many of Lily's Hogwarts friends had been skeptical of her friendship with Snape — particularly after he started hanging around with Avery and Mulciber — they'd come to accept him later. None of them — with the early exception of the Marauders, of course — had objected to their dating at all.

Marlene, having graduated a few years before, was not as familiar with the situation. All she saw in Snape was a Slytherin who loved the Dark Arts.

_This might not be fun._

"However shrewy Petunia was being, she did have a good point," Marlene said. "This is pretty quick."

She swallowed. "Have you discussed all the things you need to discuss with Severus?"

"Well, Marlene, we've already discussed most of the important ones. We're not planning on having kids anytime soon, with the war on and all."

Marlene nodded.

"A wise decision. Okay, you've discussed children, where you're going to live," she said, ticking the items off on her fingers as she went along. "What about families? How much will your future children see of their grandparents?"

Lily swallowed.

_That could be tricky._

She was not sure how much Marlene knew of Snape's familial situation, but she obviously knew enough to be concerned.

_Sev loves his mother, but I don't want our future kids getting the notion that how Mr. Snape treats her is right and proper. It would be wrong to deny them access to their grandchildren, but it would also be wrong to allow their situation to be a bad influence._

She thought for a moment.

_Perhaps they can visit us, but we won't leave the children with them. Or at least not with Mr. Snape._

Sometimes when her own parents needed a babysitter, her grandmother would come help out. Grandpa Evans loved his granddaughters, but he also had concerns of his own, so Grandma Evans was the one who did most of the babysitting.

"I've got some ideas on how to deal with that," Lily said.

Marlene nodded, then thought for a moment.

"What about his interest in the Dark Arts?"

Lily frowned. She knew how helpful Snape's knowledge of the Dark Arts was to the war effort, how brutally effective Sectumsempra was and how Snape could heal victims of curses since he knew so many of them himself.

_It's true it makes me uncomfortable, even now, but it's not my place to tell him what interests he ought to have._

Her frown deepened.

_Marlene is older. She probably knows more about these things._

"I've known that Sev has been interested in the Dark Arts since we were little," Lily said. "I don't see how that's a problem."

"But what kind of person is into the Dark Arts? What might you be getting yourself into by marrying him?"

Lily sighed.

"Sev's mother taught him a lot of that magic when he was a kid, to protect himself from Muggle criminals. Surely you remember the Moors Murders?"

Marlene nodded.

"Furthermore, since you seem to know _so_ much about his family, you know that he's Half-Blood, right?"

Marlene nodded.

"A poor, Half-Blood Slytherin. You think that maybe he wanted to impress the other members of his House, get them to respect him? You don't know half the crap he went through with the rest of them after he fought Mulciber, Marlene."

Marlene stepped back.

"Hey," she said. "I'm just looking out for a friend."

Lily sighed.

_I understand that, even if it is somewhat annoying._

"Thanks, Marlene."

The older woman turned and left, leaving Lily alone with her thoughts.

_You know, it really is best to get these matters out of the way before the marriage._

She swallowed.

_Hopefully we'll be able to discuss the matter soon._


	54. Last Minute Conversation

Last Minute Conversation

**Last Minute Conversation**

By Matthew W. Quinn

March 15th, 1979 AD

5:30 PM

Severus Snape sat in a rather comfortable leather chair in the Order of the Phoenix headquarters. His feet were propped up on a table in front of him and he was thoroughly occupied with the English translation of _The Courland Grimoire_, an intermediate-level Durmstrang Dark Arts text.

_The _Book of Infernal Things_ was a very good beginning_, he thought, _but the Death Eaters are adapting. They know how to reverse the Flesh-Rotting Curse, for starters._

So he'd gone to Knock-Turn Alley and sought out a more advanced Dark Arts book. The book had some interesting material on controlling FiendFyre — something he'd need to use against any Horcruxes they might find — as well as the creation of Inferi.

_The Dark Lord is making an army of Inferi and the Death Eaters already outnumber the Order. It might be prudent to even the odds._

Periodically, he looked up to see how Lily Evans was doing. She was chattering with Mary Macdonald and Marlene McKinnon and was as lively and happy as ever.

Snape smiled. Lily saw him watching her and smiled back. Snape felt his heart grow warm.

Then her gaze dropped a little and her smile faltered. Snape felt his heart sink.

_She saw what you're reading._

Lily had relaxed a bit about his interest in the Dark Arts in the years since they started dating. He knew she did not like Dark Magic and so he did not speak of his studies in front of her and she did not ask questions.

_This is a bit of a relapse._

Snape raised an eyebrow.

Lily opened her mouth to say something but the door opened and Albus Dumbledore stepped in.

"Later," Lily mouthed.

Snape nodded.

Dumbledore took his accustomed place at the center of the meeting and began speaking. Although Snape tried to force himself to pay attention, whatever it was going on with Lily kept forcing itself into his mind.

_She was concerned about what you were reading. Hopefully she won't start trying to get you to stop being interested in the Dark Arts._

He was quite willing to accommodate Lily by not shoving his interest in her face but he didn't want her non-interest being shoved in his face either.

"…the raids in Bristol cost the Dark Lord ten dead and fourteen captured, as well as several wounded who managed to get away. We managed to capture a substantial stockpile of illegal Potions and rescue a couple of prisoners they'd been keeping."

_That had been a fun one._

John Anderson had told him about the foul makeshift cells the Death Eaters had dug in the basement of one of the warehouses in the Bristol docklands. The Order had gotten to the prisoners just in time — in only a few nights, they were going to dispose of them by feeding them to some werewolves.

At the thought of werewolves, Snape felt his gaze drifting towards Remus Lupin. He forced his eyes away.

_Werewolf or not, he's still any ally._

"…And now, we fear that the Dark Lord will retaliate. Are all of your homes warded properly?"

Snape nodded unconsciously. The wards he erected around Spinner's End would keep out anyone with "hostile intent," which would mean Death Eaters and probably Lily's sister if she ever deigned to visit the bad side of the neighborhood.

Of course, he wasn't aware just what defenses Lily had set up around her own home. He knew she had some and the Auror who looked after their section of Manchester spent most of his time in her area — probably assuming Lily and her family would be an easier target — but one could never be too careful.

_The Dark Lord targets the friends and families of his enemies. Remember that._

"I think it prudent to send Alastor Moody to check out all the homes of Order members, to make sure the magical defenses are up to snuff. Any objections?"

_If there's one thing Moody is good at, it's being paranoid._

"Now, I think it wise to strike at the Death Eaters while they're off-balance. In the interest of maintaining operational security, I will have Longbottom, Moody, and Doge contact each of you individually."

Snape allowed himself a small smile at Dumbledore's charade

_The Death Eaters don't know we know we've found their leak._

His dark eyes rested on Peter Pettigrew, who sat with Lupin. James Potter sat nearby, conspicuously ignoring him.

After the meeting ended, they left the house and made their way to the spot where they customarily Disapparated home.

However, instead of Disapparating, Lily looked around as though she wanted to be sure nobody was listening in.

"Sev," Lily said. "There're a couple of things I think we need to discuss."

"Like what? We've already discussed children, where we're going to live, and…"

A lustful thought rose unbidden to the forefront of Snape's mind.

"You know," he said, lowering his voice. "If it's about sex, I wouldn't be interested in doing anything you find…"

For a moment, Lily's cheeks threatened to become as red as her hair.

"No, Sev, it's not that," she said. "It's actually about your parents."

_Uh oh_. He remembered how Potter had initially tried to dissuade her from dating him, telling him that he'd come to treat her as his father treated his mother.

_I'd sooner apply Sectumsempra to my own throat, eternal damnation or not. _

"I know you love your mother, Sev, and it would be wrong to deny your parents access to their grandchildren." She swallowed. "But I don't want our children to think the way your father treats your mum is right and proper."

Snape sighed.

"Lily, I know just how odious my father is. Of course I don't want our future children exposed to his drinking and his raging."

"Good. But that leads to the question about how much exposure our kids will have to them?"

_Hmm. What to do?_

He thought for a moment.

_We have Spinner's End to ourselves until the war is over and Mum and Father can come out of hiding. At that point, we'll need to find a place of our own to live._

"Well, leaving the children with Mum and Father, unsupervised, would be a rather bad idea. However, I don't see the harm in allowing them to come visit."

Lily nodded.

"Should we tell them that your dad is not to drink before he visits?"

_That might be a good idea. However, if he has to wait, he'll drink more later and be more odious to Mum._

Snape repressed a scowl.

_Having to choose between our future children and Mum. This is most unfortunate._

"I think we can lay sufficient hints and say so explicitly if that isn't enough. Is that it?"

Lily shook her head.

"There is one more thing."

_Uh oh. What could it be now?_

He remembered how she eyed his book with distaste.

"It's your interest in the Dark Arts."

_Damn it. I suspected that._

He was willing to agree with her about his parents having problems, but the Dark Arts were something that fascinated him.

"I'm not trying to tell you what you should or shouldn't be interested in," she said. "Your knowledge of curses has helped you heal our wounded and Sectumsempra alone has won us battles."

"And saved both our lives. You remember the attack on Spinner's End?"

She nodded.

"So what exactly is the problem?"

"Our future children," she said.

_Ah._

"You aren't thinking that my interest in the Dark Arts will endanger them? I won't exactly leave dangerous materials lying around for them to get their hands on."

"I wasn't saying you would, Sev." She swallowed. "I want you to promise me that you won't try to teach our children Dark Magic. Let them learn it when they're older, on their own initiative."

Snape raised an eyebrow.

"Even for self-defense? If we live at Spinner's End even for a short time, that's something they might need to know. The area's been getting more dangerous lately, as the last of the mills have closed."

She swallowed.

"Okay, some spells for self-defense. But nothing more advanced than that."

_She seems nervous._

"Is something bothering you, Lily? You've never brought this up before."

_At least not in awhile. I remember you were concerned about Avery and Mulciber and their idea of "fun."_

"I…I was advised that some matters should be discussed before the wedding, not afterwards. Best get all the lumps out of the dough before you bake the bread, you know."

_Makes sense_. His own parents had never discussed his father's drinking or his mother's magic and he certainly knew how _that_ ended up.

He decided not to ask just who had given Lily this advice.

_Probably Petunia. Or, given the knowledge of magic involved, perhaps Marlene._

Mary had treated him skeptically at first, but had grown to accept him. Marlene was a different matter — she hadn't seen him abandon the Death Eater cause.

Still, regardless of just who had set this ball in motion, Lily was still looking up at him, a rather concerned expression on her face.

Snape slid an arm around her.

"I wouldn't want to do anything that would make you uncomfortable," Snape said. "But there are some issues related to this."

He thought back how he had become more seriously involved in the Dark Arts…

November 14th, 1972

7:30 PM

Snape sat in the library, reading a book on Dark Magic he'd managed to nick from the Restricted Section under Irma Pince's nose.

_This is really interesting._

He knew about the spells Mum had taught him, to hurt bad Muggles with if they attacked him, but he didn't know there was an entire world of the Dark Arts beyond that.

_Spells to drive your enemies insane, all kinds of really interesting creatures, deadly poisons…this is_ so _cool_.

He heard someone coming and quickly shut the book.

_If Pince sees what I've got, she'll throw a fit._

"Sev," Justin Avery whispered.

Snape relaxed.

"Yes?"

Avery walked up to the table and plopped down next to Snape.

"What're you reading?"

Snape told him the title and how he managed to nick it from the Restricted Section.

Avery smiled. "You into Dark Magic?"

Snape nodded.

"Mum taught me some. We lived in a Muggle neighborhood" — he saw an expression of disgust cross Avery's face — "and it wasn't very safe."

"No surprise there."

It was then that Pince decided to interrupt.

"No talking in the library!" she shouted.

Avery looked in her direction and lowered his voice.

"There are some of us in Slytherin who're forming a Dark Arts club."

"An official club? Slughorn won't approve that."

Avery shook his head.

"Oh no, nothing official. Malfoy's agreed to oversee it and he won't tell a soul. We'll be meeting up Friday night. Want to come? It'll be you, me, Mike, Evan, and I think Regulus too."

Snape smiled.

"That'd be cool."

March 15th, 1979

7:00 PM

"That's a good point," Lily said. "If they think the Dark Arts are the forbidden fruit, they'll be more inclined to seek it out without our approval and…"

"Who knows who they'll turn to?"

Lily nodded. "Yes."

"Are you sure you're all right?" Snape asked, gently stroking her.

"I'm fine. It's just, these matters are very important and I was concerned."

She swallowed again.

"A compromise then? You won't go out of your way to teach them about Dark Magic, but if they start getting interested in it, you'll provide guidance so they don't go looking for trouble."

Snape nodded.

"Sounds reasonable."

Lily smiled.

"Okay. Glad to get that over with."

Snape remembered Dumbledore's concerns about the defenses of Order member's homes.

"Now it's my turn to have some concerns," Snape said. "Is your family home adequately protected? Something tells me that the Auror watching our part of Manchester is going to have more important things to do soon."

_It's a small wonder he's stayed this long. Surely there are more important things going on._

Lily nodded. "Well, I set up some of those 'hostile intent' wards you have for Spinner's End, although not as many as you've got. I don't think I'm as a big a target as you are, given that I'm not a 'blood traitor.'"

Snape repressed a scowl. "It would be a good idea to erect more wards. They might assume my house is too tough a nut to crack and go after you and your family."

Lily frowned a moment. "That's a good idea. Shall we take care of that tonight?"

Snape nodded. "Yes. We should."


	55. Last Night of Freedom

Last Night of Freedom

**Last Night of Freedom**

By Matthew W. Quinn

**Author's Note: **Where is everybody? Reviews and hits have been down lately.

April 2nd, 1979

8:30 PM

Sam Jeffers, one of Severus Snape's co-workers at the Apothecary, raised his goblet.

"To marriage!" he said.

"To marriage!" John Anderson, Fabian Prewett, and Snape responded. They clinked their own goblets and set to drinking.

Jeffers and Prewett quickly finished their wine and called out for more. Anderson savored his, while Snape sipped his carefully.

_Best not overdo it_, Snape thought. _Don't want to trigger any hereditary alcoholism genes the night before your wedding._

"This was awfully nice of you all, coming out to my stag party," Snape began.

Anderson and Jeffers slapped him on the back.

"Nothing to it, Snape," Jeffers said. "Stag nights are my specialty. I've got it all planned out…"

Snape wondered for a moment just how Jeffers had made himself master of ceremonies. Anderson was his Best Man and it was his job to organize the stag night.

Snape forced himself to smile.

_Come on. Loosen up a bit._

The arrival of the food interrupted Jeffers.

_Wow_, Snape thought, eyes locking on the enormous ribeye steak that he'd ordered. Such luxuries were unknown during his childhood in Spinner's End and even at Hogwarts. He figured now would be the only time to indulge himself, since he and Lily were just starting out in their careers and two did not live as cheaply as one.

The waiter distributed the food and they all dug in. Snape sliced off the burnt edges of the steak and found the red meat quite enjoyable. As he ate, he periodically sipped from his goblet and found the red wine and the beef went very well together.

_Nice._

He finished his goblet and ordered another. As the waiter poured, Snape noted the label.

_One of the things I learned from Malfoy was how to appreciate good wine. This is a brand to keep an eye on._

They finished their food, paid for it, and headed out on the streets of Diagon Alley.

"Okay," Anderson began. "We've had our dinner. Now what do we want to do?"

"Well," Jeffers said, looking at his watch. "We could all go home, but it's just past nine o'clock. It's Sev's last night of freedom — I think we should make it a memorable one."

_Now I know just how Jeffers has gotten so involved. Beyond the dinner, John doesn't really have a plan._

Jeffers smiled. "I've got an idea. They're having a special on boiler-makers at Johnson's Pub down the street."

He looked at Snape.

"You approve?"

Snape worried about the alcohol content of the boiler-makers.

_Wine and beer are bad enough. But whiskey too?_

But the goblets of wine had loosened his inhibitions.

Snape shrugged.

"Might as well give it a try."

The foursome entered the pub and Jeffers called over the bartender.

"He's getting married tomorrow," Jeffers said. "You know what to do."

The bartender laughed.

"The boiler-makers?"

Jeffers nodded.

"Two for each of us," he said.

The bartender poured eight glasses of a Muggle brand of beer Snape did not recognize and dropped a shot of firewhiskey in each.

"You do the honors," Jeffers said.

Snape took up the first boiler-maker and drank it down. The others cheered and drank their own.

_That wasn't so bad._

"You like it?" Jeffers asked.

Snape nodded.

"Pretty good."

He then started drinking the other one.

He barely got half of it down when the hammer fell. His eyes bulged and watered and he put the drink down.

_Oh my._

Jeffers slapped him on the back.

"Just hit you, eh?"

_Obviously._

"Just wait a minute."

Snape did as Jeffers suggested and drank more. The hammer struck again and although it didn't strike as hard as it did before, the room started spinning. Snape held onto the bar for dear life and as soon as the room got properly oriented, he rose to his feet.

"Enough." He staggered towards, nearly tripping several times in the process. The others followed.

"Okay. We're done with boiler-makers," Jeffers said. "How about some Irish Car Bombs?"

"I'm not much in a mood for terrorists," Snape said. "Got enough of them to deal with already."

Jeffers shook his head.

"No. It's a drink. A shot of Bailey's Irish Crème dropped into a Guinness. You've got to drink them fast or else the drink curdles and tastes even worse."

_This certainly sounds interesting._

Then he sobered for a bit, as he realized that Guinness was his father's favorite beer.

"I don't really know about this," Snape said.

"Come on," Jeffers said. "Just one."

Snape shook his head.

"No more bars. I'm starting to feel a little sick."

"No problem," Jeffers said. "I've got something else instead."

He leaned forward. "I've heard of something really awesome down in Knockturn Alley," he whispered conspiratorially.

_In Knockturn Alley? And I'm not aware of it?_

"What might that be?" Snape asked, repressing a hiccup.

"It's a club where they've got fairies that take off their clothes."

_That's stupid. Not to mention Lily would be horrified if she found out you went to one of those places._

"I'd really rather not go there, Sam."

Jeffers slapped him on the back.

"Come on. I hear they dance in front of you on the table, one per person. And they've got really good food there too, if you want something to soak up the alcohol."

He hiccupped again, emphasizing the point.

_You know, you've never actually been to a club where people take their clothes off. And who knows what Lily and her friends are doing for their hen party? Turn-about's fair play._

He shook his head.

_Lily is your one and only. How could a bunch of stripper fairies compare?_

He looked at Jeffers, who had a rather hungry expression on his face.

_He just wants an excuse to go._

Snape shook his head.

"Not tonight."

He hiccupped again.

Jeffers shrugged.

"Okay. How about this? I've got a cigar."

He reached into his robes and pulled out a big cigar.

"It's a Muggle cigar, from a place called Cuba."

_Wow. Those are really expensive._

He sliced off the front of the cigar with a Severing Charm and lit it.

"Here you go," he said.

Snape took it and examined it.

_Okay. Put it in your mouth and inhale…_

He inhaled, quite deeply. The smoke burned down his throat into his lungs and he almost immediately gagged. He nearly bent double coughing, the cigar dropping from his mouth. Jeffers magically suspended it before it hit the ground.

"You inhaled all the way, didn't you?"

Tears in his eyes, Snape nodded.

Jeffers smiled.

"So did I, the first time. You only take the smoke into your mouth. Smoking a cigar isn't like smoking a cigarette."

_Ah. That is a helpful bit of information._

Snape tried again. He inhaled carefully, keeping the smoke inside his mouth.

_Ah. This is much better._

He made a note to brush his teeth thoroughly the next morning. He did not want his and Lily's first kiss as a married couple — and the more intense kissing that would commence that evening — to be ruined by bad breath.

As Snape continued with the cigar, Jeffers pulled more out of his robes.

"There's enough to go around," he said.

He passed out the cigars and soon all of them were puffing away.

After a couple of minutes, Snape finished his cigar and Vanished it. The others finished up soon afterward.

"Okay," Jeffers said. "The club with the fairies is out and Sev doesn't want to drink anymore. Now what?"

"You know," Anderson said. "The wedding is tomorrow at two and we'll all need time to recuperate from this. How about we go home?"

_Thanks, John._

Jeffers shrugged. "Cool. Suit yourselves."

He Disapparated away.

The others looked at each other.

"Remind me," Anderson said. "To keep him _far_ away from my bachelor party when the time comes."

The others laughed.

"That, I will do," Snape said. "Won't be that bloody difficult."

"See you all tomorrow," Prewett said before Disapparating away.

Only Anderson and Snape were left.

"Sorry about that," Anderson said. "I really should have planned it out better, beyond dinner."

_Darn right you should have._

Snape suspected he would be utterly sick the next morning and was glad he'd brewed some Anti-Hangover Potion, just in case.

Despite the inhibition-loosening effects of the alcohol, Snape managed to hold his tongue.

"Don't worry about it," Snape said. "At least we won't have to be bailed out of jail."

Anderson hiccupped.

"All's well that ends well," he replied.

Snape nodded, then Disapparated.

April 3rd, 1979

12:00 AM

Snape materialized in the sitting room of Spinner's End. The combination of Apparition and alcohol made him nearly fall over.

_Oh no_, he thought for a moment. _I've splinched myself and lost my legs._

That would certainly not be a good omen for the coming wedding.

He reached down and found his legs and feet, firmly where they were supposed to be.

_Oh thank God._

He picked himself up and stumbled up the stairs towards his bedroom.

_Let's hope I don't need too much of that Anti-Hangover Potion tomorrow._


	56. Love and Marriage

Love and Marriage

**Love and Marriage**

By Matthew W. Quinn

**Author's Note: **Thanks again to Sindie for information on the bride's preparations for the wedding.

April 3rd, 1979

9 AM

Severus Snape woke up with a pounding headache and a mouth that tasted like ash.

_Oh Merlin._ His eyes drifted to the clock on the wall.

_Too early._ He contemplated closing his eyes and hoping his head wouldn't hurt too much to sleep.

Then he remembered he was getting married in a few hours.

Rubbing his pounding head, Snape got up and made his way towards the bathroom. Along the way, he gulped down his Anti-Hangover Potion. Although the potion irritated his cigar-scorched throat, the combination of the heat of the shower and the Potion cleared his head. The residue of the cigar, however, remained in his mouth.

_Maybe I'll try out an Anti-Halitosis Charm._ He ran his wand along his throat, healing the residual irritation from the cigar mishap, then put his wand in his mouth and made the foul aftertaste disappear.

_Excellent._

He tied his long hair back and put on the Muggle tuxedo he had rented for the occasion. Then he Transfigured a portion of his wall into a mirror.

_Very nice. Very, very nice._

Mr. Evans and John Anderson had helped him pick out a tuxedo, since he really didn't have much experience with fine clothes.

Once he had prepared, he looked at his watch.

_I should be getting to the church around noon. This means I've got time to kill._

He looked over to his bookshelf. He still had not finished _The Courland Grimoire_.

_Studying a Dark Arts book on your wedding day? They'll think you irredeemably morbid._

He smiled.

_Let them. Besides, one never knows if there will be any uninvited, unfriendly guests._

April 3rd, 1979

12 PM

Snape materialized inside a grove of trees and made his way to nearby Saint Anthony's Catholic Church. Anderson, Fabian Prewett, and Allen McIntosh — who'd gotten special dispensation to leave Hogwarts for the day — were waiting for him.

"Ready for the big day?" Anderson asked.

Snape nodded.

"Yeah."

Anderson smiled.

"Come on in. Let's stake out a good room."

April 3rd, 1979

12:20 PM

Lily Evans, her mother, and bridesmaids walked into the parlor where they were to wait until the ceremony began.

_Okay_, Lily thought. _We've all gotten our hair done and had our lunch. Now to get dressed._

"Okay," she said. "Let's get this done with. Marlene, could you shut the door?"

_It would not do to give passers-by a glimpse._

Lily peeled off her street clothes and Mary Macdonald and Marlene McKinnon helped her through the laborious process of getting her wedding dress on. The process took several minutes.

"Okay, we're done now," Marlene said. She went over and opened the parlor door. "It's getting a bit stuffy."

Mary looked at her watch.

"Okay, we've got an hour and a half to kill. Anyone want to play bridge?"

Marlene Transfigured some magazines into cards and the women sat down. They'd barely gotten started when Anderson walked into the room. He got an eyeful of Lily in her dress and his jaw dropped.

"Wow," he said. "Sev's a very lucky man."

A moment passed and his cheeks reddened a little.

"Uh, sorry," he said. "Just looking for the restroom. Am I not supposed to be here?"

Lily reddened a little around the cheeks.

"Oh, don't worry about it, John. It's only Sev who's not supposed to see me. How's he doing, by the way?"

"Surprisingly well, given…"

His voice trailed off. Lily narrowed her eyes.

_Something's going on._

"Given what?"

Anderson swallowed.

"I…I don't think I ought to talk about it."

Lily considered letting it go.

_I'd rather not begin my wedding with a fight with the Best Man._

Then she remembered Marlene's advice and her and Sev's talk afterward.

"John, this is important. What's going on?"

Anderson swallowed.

"For Sev's stag party, we went to dinner in Diagon Alley. I didn't really have anything planned beyond that, so one of his coworkers thought it might be a good idea to hit the pubs. We all got pretty hammered before Sev called it off."

Although the others didn't react overmuch, Lily blanched.

_Oh no._

She knew about Tobias Snape's cruelty to his wife and son and how much of it took place after he'd been drinking.

_Am I getting myself into that?_

She frowned.

"How hammered?"

Anderson swallowed.

"Well, Sev was having some trouble walking when we left the pub. None of the rest of us got that bad."

Lily allowed herself a small smile.

_Sev doesn't like to drink because he's seen what it's done to his father. No wonder his tolerance is low._

Unlikely as she knew it was, she didn't want to end up like Eileen Prince Snape, tyrannized by a drunken husband.

She rose to her feet.

"Um, Lily, it's bad luck…"

Lily stopped short.

_It's a silly superstition and this is important._

Then she considered the feelings of the other members of the wedding party.

_All right._

"John, could you do me a favor? Ask Sev just how much he had to drink and whether or not he plans on continuing this after we're married."

"Couldn't you just send a Patro…"

"The Muggles, remember?"

"Oh yeah."

Anderson nodded.

"I'll pass that along."

April 3rd, 1979

12:22 PM

"You told her about last night," Snape repeated. "Why?"

"She asked," Anderson replied. "It's not a good sign if you're trying to keep secrets from your soon-to-be-wife and…"

Snape sighed.

"You know about Father. This is a sensitive subject."

Snape sighed again.

"All right. Go tell Lily that I had two goblets of wine and two boilermakers and I woke up this morning sick as a bloody dog. The reception is dry and I threw out the last of Father's beer. I won't turn into Father — I'd sooner cut my own throat!"

Anderson stepped back at Snape's outburst.

"Got it. I'll pass it along."

He stepped out of the door.

April 3rd, 1979

12:25 PM

"Well, that's reassuring," Petunia said sarcastically after Anderson delivered the message. "That's a lot of alcohol — I'm surprised he's sober right now. How do we know this hasn't triggered full-blown alcoholism?"

"Tuney," Mrs. Evans said. "I don't think it works like that."

Lily sighed.

"He's had a drink now and then without any problems. We come of age at 17, remember, and it's been two years since."

She sighed again.

"Knowing his father…"

She thought back to how she visited Spinner's End once and it was Tobias, not Eileen, who let her in.

September 11th, 1969 AD

3:30 PM

"You must be the boy's pretty little friend," the elder Snape said as he let her in. "He's in the loo. He'll be out in a moment."

Lily swallowed. The way Tobias described her made her a little bit uncomfortable and she was certain Sev would be embarrassed about his father describing just where he was.

She followed her best friend's father from the door into the darkened sitting room, lit only by light from a window.

"He should be down shortly, unless the kippers last night disagreed with him. You can sit on the sofa."

Lily slowly took a seat on the sofa while he sank into a recliner and went back to the beer he'd been drinking.

"Damn inflation," he growled. "Money's not stretching as far as it bloody used to."

He looked at Lily for a moment.

"The boy says you're like him and his mum." He squinted. "Hopefully you're not _weird_ like their folk are."

Lily found her voice. "I hope so too, sir."

The toilet flushed upstairs and a moment later, Snape came down. He took one look at Lily and his father and paled even more than usual.

"Let's go outside," he said quickly, and all but pulled her out the door.

April 3rd, 1979

12:24 PM

When she told her parents that, they'd laid down the law. Snape was always welcome at their home, but she was not to go to Spinner's End by herself. The prohibition had remained in place for several years, until they were confident she could defend herself with magic.

Lily sighed again.

"John, go back to Sev. I need to think for a moment."

Anderson swallowed.

"Will do, Lily."

April 3rd, 1979

12:27 PM

"Damn and blast," Snape said. "She didn't have anything more to say?"

_Our marriage is going fail even before it begins. This is a bloody _debacle.

"I think you're worrying too much," Anderson said. "She's not going to call off the bloody wedding."

"Yeah," Prewett said. "This is just a last-minute misunderstanding…"

"That could derail the entire thing," Snape interrupted.

"I really think you're worrying too much," McIntosh said. "She's known about your dad for many years and she still agreed to marry you."

Then Petunia swept into the room

"I don't know what she's thinking," Petunia said. "But she's not upset with you anymore."

_Oh thank God._

She narrowed her eyes.

"Let's hope nothing like last night happens again."

She turned around and left. After a moment, Anderson leaned over.

"That's Lily's sister, Petunia, right?"

Snape nodded.

"She's a lot better looking than you made her sound."

_You know, when she's not sneering at you, she's not half-bad._

"She's got a boyfriend, you know."

Anderson frowned.

"Figures."

_I hope he's not going to try to woo Petunia. Boyfriend aside, it hasn't been all that long since Amanda died. Trying to replace her, let along trying to replace her with Petunia of all people, would be most unwise._

Time passed. Snape slumped down into a convenient chair — he could always use magic to get any inconvenient wrinkles out — and he and his groomsmen conversed.

It turned out that McIntosh and the others that Snape had befriended were able to prevent the Death Eater wannabes from reasserting their dominance over Slytherin House. Regulus Black had been a particular pain in the arse, but he'd taken it down a peg or two earlier in the year.

Snape allowed himself a small smile.

_I know why_, he thought. _Can't tell him, but I know._

"If even that wanker Black can give in, I think You-Know-Who's hold over the Slytherin has been broken," Snape said.

_At least for now. The Dark Lord's friends at Hogwarts all but took over Slytherin in his day and their children did in the same in mine. When Allen graduates, who will take their places?_

"Anyone younger who can hold the line after you go?"

"I think Anne is up to the task," McIntosh said. "And there are some people her age who'll go along."

Snape nodded.

"Good."

Then Petunia returned.

"Okay everyone," she said. "Time to go!"

April 3rd, 1979

2:04 PM

Snape stood by the altar, waiting nervously for Lily to make her appearance.

_The ceremony is still on_, he thought, trying to calm his nerves. _The others are right. She won't call it off at the last minute._

"Nervous?" Father Michael Harrell, the elderly Squib priest, asked.

Snape nodded.

The priest smiled.

"This is not an end, it is a beginning."

Snape allowed himself a small smile. Then his eyes swept the sanctuary, cataloguing who was there.

_James Potter, Remus Lupin, the Longbottoms, Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall, Horace Slughorn, Madame Pomfrey and Hagrid._ All of them were wearing either Muggle garb or the least-garish wizarding clothes they could find.

His own parents sat with Mrs. Evans near the front. Eileen Prince Snape wore an archaic wizarding gown she'd refurbished for the event, while Tobias Snape wore a suit he probably hadn't worn since the 1950s, when he was courting Eileen.

As Snape watched, his father's hand crept down towards his coat, where he probably had a flask. Eileen hand slid over and stopped him.

The elder Snape scowled but said nothing.

Snape continued to survey the crowd. Seated near Tobias were his Uncle Jack and his Muggle cousins, while a horde of Lily's Muggle relatives were scattered throughout the place. Petunia's boyfriend Vernon Dursley was there, as was James Simmons the Apothecary and Sam Jeffers, who looked none the worse for wear from last night's partying.

_Well-attended, I think._

Then the music started playing and Snape's eyes leaped to the doors of the sanctuary.

_Here it comes…_

The doors slid open and Lily and her father stepped through. Snape barely restrained his jaw from dropping.

_Wow. She is beautiful._

Snape gazed at Lily with wonder as Harrell read from the Bible, first from Genesis and then from First Corinthians and from Mark.

Then the guests rose.

_Time for the vows._

Harrell addressed the couple.

"Dear Friends, you have come here today that our Lord may seal your love in the presence of the priest and this community. Prior to celebrating this sacrament, let me first be assured of your intentions and commitment."

Harrell paused.

"Have you come here of your free will and choice, without compulsion, to marry each other?"

"We have," they said.

"Will you love and honor each other in marriage all the days of your life?"

"We will."

"Are you willing to accept with love the children God may send you, and bring them up in the love of Christ and his Church?"

"So I now invite you to declare before God and his church your consent to become husband and wife."

They joined their right hands.

"Do you, Severus Snape, take Lily Rachel Evans as your lawful wedded wife, to be true to her in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, to love and honor her all the days of your life?"

"I do."

Harrell turned to Lily.

"Do you, Lily Evans, take Severus Tobias Snape as your lawful wedded husband, to be true to him in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, to love and honor him all the days of your life?"

"I do."

Harrell nodded.

"May the Lord in His goodness strengthen your consent and fill you both with His blessings. What God has joined together, let no man put asunder."

Anderson handed the bride's ring to the priest, who blessed it and handed it to Snape.

"With this ring, I thee wed," Snape said as he put the ring on her finger.

"I take this ring as a sign of my love and faithfulness in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit," Lily said.

Snape smiled.

Then Mary handed the groom's ring to the priest, who blessed it and handed it to Lily. She put it on his finger.

"With this ring, I thee wed," Lily said.

"I take this ring as a sign of my love and faithfulness in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit," Snape said.

Lily smiled back and Snape felt his heart nearly explode.

Then Harrell spoke again.

"Severus Snape and Lily Evans have exchanged their marriage vows, and declared their consent before the congregation. Therefore in the name of God I pronounce them man and wife. What God joins together, no one must separate. May the Lord confirm the consent you have given & enrich you with his blessings."

The priest smiled.

"You may kiss the bride."

Snape reddened a little as he pulled Lily close and they kissed, to the cheers of some of the rowdier members of the audience.

Harrell continued to smile.

"Go in peace with Christ," he called out to the audience.

"Thanks be to God," the audience responded. They rose and filed out of the sanctuary.

Lily laughed as they descended from the altar and Snape kissed her on the forehead. That made her laugh even more and Snape smiled.

As they stepped out of the sanctuary, their guests lined up to congratulate them. Lily's parents hugged and congratulated them both. Then his father arrived and, in a moment Snape thought incredibly awkward, hugged both of them.

_At least he's trying._

Eileen followed after her husband.

"Congratulations to both of you," she said, a smile on her thin face, and Snape smiled back.

"Thanks, Mrs. Snape," Lily said. The women hugged.

"You can call me Mum, you know," Eileen said.

_You know, perhaps at some point I should start referring to Mr. and Mrs. Evans as "Dad" and "Mum" too._

They passed down the line, receiving congratulations from other friends, their former teachers, and family members.

Then they came upon James Potter, Remus Lupin, and Mary Macdonald. While Mary and Lily hugged and squealed, Snape found himself facing his old rival and his werewolf sidekick.

_This could be awkward_, Snape thought before Potter interrupted.

"Take good care of her, Snape," Potter said. He extended his hand and, slowly Snape shook it.

"Yeah," Lupin added.

Potter looked at Lupin with an expression of mild shock.

"You too, Moony?"

Snape barely restrained his jaw from dropping.

_Lupin too? Holy Mary, did_ everyone _want to date Lily?_

Lily laughed and hugged Lupin, who then shook hands with Snape.

_Oh well. Looks like I came out on top this time._

The two of them passed down the receiving line. There, at the end, stood Petunia.

_Uh oh._

Snape watched as the sisters embraced—in a less friendly manner than Snape would have approved—and then Petunia turned to face him.

"Take care of my little sister," she said curtly.

"I will," Snape nodded.

Then, slowly, Petunia shook his hand. They shook hands and, that task accomplished, Petunia went off with Dursley.

Then it was off to the reception…

April 3rd, 1979

3:30 PM

They held the reception at the Evans home, in the backyard. Lily had made sure the money that would have been spent on alcohol was invested in food, so everyone had a good early dinner.

_Very nice_, Snape thought as he ate. _Very good indeed._

He'd finished his chicken and was about to move onto the rice when Anderson took his place up near the front.

_Time for the Best Man to make his speech_, Snape thought. _There's no alcohol here, so hopefully he won't say something embarrassing._

Luckily, he kept it quick, thanking Lily's parents for putting on the wonderful event. He made some comments about marriage and everlasting love — Snape noticed during this part, Anderson's voice trembled a bit — and the importance of friendship, and then sat down.

_Remind me to compliment him on that_, Snape said. _Nice and quick_.

Mr. Evans went over to a record-player that had been set up near the food and put the needle to the record. Some music — a Muggle song that Snape did not recognize — began playing.

Lily rose from the table and danced with her father. Then she came over to Snape.

"It's time for our first dance," she said. She took his hand. "Come on."

Snape reluctantly rose to his feet.

_Dancing in front of all of them?_

Anderson smiled. "It's nothing, Severus," he said.

_All right._

He allowed Lily to pull him to the area between the tables and the record-player and they danced their first dance as a married couple.

_Wow_, Snape thought as they twirled about. _This is excellent._

Lily smelled and felt nice pressed against him and Snape allowed himself to think about how nice things would be in a few hours.

_Certainly worth looking forward to_, he thought with a smile.

They finished and returned to their place at the table.

Time passed and the guests began drifting away. The catering staff returned and gathered up the buffet, while the parents began folding up the tables and chairs.

"Do you need any help?" Lily asked. "That's an awful lot of work for just four people."

Mr. Evans shook his head.

"Don't worry about it, dear," he said. "You two can get an early start on your honeymoon."

Snape's father chuckled at that, earning a glare from his wife. He scowled, took another swig from his flask, and went back to helping clean up.

"You know, owing to our ability to Apparate, we can go pretty much anywhere at short notice," Snape said. "It won't be any problem for us to…"

"We'll be fine," Eileen said.

She drew her wand and gestured, causing several of the chairs to fold themselves. Another flick of her wrist and the tablecloths piled themselves up in a convenient place.

"Exceedingly useful, Eileen," the elder Snape said gruffly. Mr. and Mrs. Evans applauded.

"Well then," Snape said. "Well then, I suppose Lily and I will be on our way."

Their parents smiled.

"Enjoy your honeymoon."

The two of them picked up the luggage they'd pre-packed.

"You ready?" Snape asked.

Lily nodded.

They Disapparated away.


	57. Laying In

Laying In

**Laying In**

By Matthew W. Quinn

April 6th, 1979 AD

8:30 AM

Severus Snape stood at the window of the rented cottage near the beach and thought about the last few days.

_Wow,_ he thought.

He allowed himself a small smile, then went whole hog and grinned.

_These days have been some of the most enjoyable days in my life._

Using their rented cottage on the island of Jersey as a base, he and Lily had Apparated to points of interest in southern England and western France. They'd spent one morning lounging on Brighton Beach, then headed to Corfe Castle in Dorset for the afternoon. Mont St. Michel in Brittany and Ponte du Raz took up one morning and there was time for a boat trip on the river Rance.

_That Muggle hydroelectric plant was really quite interesting._

Having been brought up in a Muggle area, Snape was more knowledgeable about Muggles and their "technology" than most wizards, but the sheer scale of the tidal-generation plant astonished him.

_Muggle electricity-generating technology that doesn't turn the skies black or tear the Earth apart. I'm impressed._

And when they got back from their travels, when they weren't too tired, well…

His grin got even wider.

Of course, marriage did involve some small adjustments. Lily had taken one look at his gray nightshirt and incinerated it.

_I wasn't wearing it at the time, so no worries._

Behind him, Lily Evans Snape stirred in bed.

"It's too early, Sev," she murmured. "Come back to bed."

Snape's dark eyes drifted over to the beautiful young woman who lay entangled in the sheets.

_Don't mind if I do._

He slid into bed beside his wife and pulled the covers up around them. She wriggled close and he slid an arm around her midsection. She made a soft, contented sound as Snape traced a circle around her navel with a long finger.

They ended up staying in bed until noon.

April 6th, 1979

1:30 PM

Once they'd disentangled themselves, cleaned up, and had some lunch, they Apparated to Normandy and went to see the Bayeux Tapestry.

_This is nice_, he thought as the two of them walked along the lighted case containing the tapestry. _But reading about the actual Conquest is much more interesting._

Lily stopped at the part where the Normans were erecting their first wooden castle. Snape stood and waited.

A moment passed. Lily hadn't moved.

_I wonder what she finds so fascinating._

He stepped forward and draped himself over her, resting his head atop hers. He felt her head shift beneath his chin as she looked up at him.

"Is that a subtle hint, Sev?"

"Just making myself a bit more comfortable."

Lily giggled and wriggled out from under him.

"That can't be Corfe Castle, since the Normans landed in Sussex and Corfe's in Dorset," she said, pointing at the castle the Normans were building. "Where do you suppose it is?"

"If I had to guess, I'd say that was in Hastings itself," Snape said. "The Normans would encastellate an area almost as soon as they arrived, to ensure their hold on the territory."

_Muggle military history is all fine and good, but Bayeux has a wizarding history as well._

The Ministry's expeditionary force, led by Albus Dumbledore himself, had fought its first major battle with wizards loyal to the Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald, long ago. He remembered thinking of things to do on their honeymoon — well, things to do outside their bedroom — and recalled a monument, invisible to Muggles, to the first of several battles that brought Grindelwald's regime down.

Still, Lily seemed rather interested in the Bayeux Tapestry, so they ended up checking out the entire thing. Afterwards, they sat together on the steps outside.

"If you liked this, there's something else you might like."

"What might that be?"

"It's in Portsmouth. They call it the Overlord Embroidery."

Lily raised an eyebrow. "Overlord. That sounds awfully familiar."

She thought for a moment.

"Operation Overlord…"

"D-Day," Snape finished. "It's the story of Muggle D-Day, done in the style of the Bayeux Tapestry. I think it's in the D-Day Museum there."

_The joys of Father's military books._

Lily's eyes widened a bit.

"That does sound interesting."

She looked at her watch.

"Do you know when it closes?" she asked.

Snape frowned.

"No, not really. I assume around 5 o'clock or so."

She looked at her watch.

"Well, it's close to 2 now. If we budget an hour for the museum, the latest we can get there is around 4, and that will give us two more hours…"

She smiled and Snape felt his heartbeat accelerate. She leaned against him and he felt his heart beating even faster.

_She wants you. She wants you bad._

"You know," he said, sliding an arm around her middle to rest on her hip. "I think there might be time to stop by the cottage for a bit on the way to Portsmouth."

Lily's green eyes flashed and she snuggled closer.

"You think so?" she asked with a smile.

"Yes, I think so."

The two of them scrambled around the corner, where there were no Muggles to see them, and Disapparated away.


	58. Back Home to War

Back Home to War

**Back Home to War**

By Matthew W. Quinn

April 8th, 1979

7:45 AM

Severus Snape and Lily Evans Snape enjoyed the remainder of their honeymoon. They saw several interesting places in Britain, western France, Spain, and even spent their last full day in Amsterdam. In between excursions, they spent a lot of time in the bedroom of their cottage, getting more intimately acquainted.

After they returned, they went about the usual post-honeymoon things like joining their bank accounts and transferring Lily's possessions to Spinner's End.

Then the Death Eaters tried to kill them both.

Snape had just Apparated into Oxford and was making his way towards the Apothecary's shop when the front windows exploded, sending shards of glass flying.

_What the hell!_

Snape leaped back, casting a Shield charm. The fiery blast from the explosion lapped around the edges of the magic but did not touch him. The charm also protected him from most of the flying glass, although several shards embedded themselves in his clothes and he felt some of them biting flesh.

Two more explosions detonated inside the shop.

_Probably Potions cooking off._

His shield charm weathered the secondary explosions. As soon as the way was clear, Snape rushed into the shop, mindless of the fact he was bleeding from a gash on his cheek and some cuts on his torso.

_Where's Simmons?_

He heard someone moan and saw a toppled shelf moving.

"Sir?" he called out.

The shelf shifted and James Simmons, the Apothecary and owner of the shop, emerged from under it. He was bleeding from a long cut on his forehead.

"Sir, you're bleeding," Snape said.

The older man drew his wand and healed the cut.

"I'm fine," he said.

Then he looked around the shop.

"Oh no," was all he could say.

Snape's eyes followed his employer's.

_Oh dear._

The first explosion had blown out the front of the store but did relatively little blast damage inside it. The heat, however, had touched off racks of pre-made Potions and the more volatile Potions ingredients. Entire shelves had been shattered or knocked over and various chemicals pooled on the floor, hissing as they made contact with each other. Small fires flickered here and there throughout the shop.

"Hey, you guys all right?" Sam Jeffers asked as he emerged from the back. "I heard explosions and…"

His voice trailed off when he saw the devastation.

"Death Eaters," was all he could say.

_Most likely. It wouldn't be that difficult to find out where the various members of the Order of the Phoenix worked and…_

"Oh no," Snape half-shouted. "Lily!"

April 8th, 1979

7:50 AM

Snape Apparated in front of Lily's London workplace and his heart skipped three beats when he saw smoke pouring from several of the windows.

_If she's hurt, if she's killed, I'm going to Petrify the bastard who did it, then inflict the Flesh-Rotting Curse on him and toss him into the Channel_, Snape growled mentally. _I wonder how long it will take him to die?_

Snape stepped into the reception area and looked for a way into the back rooms where the actual work was done.

"Sir," the receptionist began. "Sir, I wouldn't recommend going back there. There's been…"

"Where's Lily Evans?" Snape half-shouted.

_Things have changed, remember?_

"Where's Lily Snape?" he said. "Is she all right?"

"I don't know, sir," the receptionist said. "The explosion was less than a minute ago. I just got here and…"

"Fine then. Where does she work?"

The receptionist examined a directory on her desk.

"Lily Snape's laboratory is #325," he said. "It's on third floor."

Snape ran past her into the heart of the building.

April 8th, 1979 AD

7:55 AM

Snape found Lily much earlier than the third floor.

He was on the second floor landing when he heard the sound of shouting and weeping nearby.

_The crying sounds like a woman. Is it Lily?_

It could be Lily or it could be another woman.

_If it's someone else who's wounded, Lily would be trying to help them._

Snape slammed the door aside and burst into the hallway.

_Oh no._

Two wizards were half-carrying a woman down the hall towards the landing. The woman was covered in blood, blood as red as her hair.

_Lily!_

Snape rushed towards her.

"Lily!" he half-screamed. "Lily, are you all right?"

"Out of the way!" one of the wizards shouted. "They used some kind of cursed bomb, loaded with Dark Magic. None of the wounds seem too deep, but we can't heal them!"

Snape drew himself to his full height and looked down on the man who spoke.

"Set her down. You might not be able to, but I can."

The two wizards looked at each other.

"Listen to him," Lily ordered.

She cast her Patronus and the silvery fox bounded away.

"If it doesn't work, mediwizards will be on their way anyway."

The wizard who spoke shrugged.

"She's your wife," the wizard said. "Let's hope you don't bugger this one up."

_Yes. Let's._

The two wizards set her down.

Snape knelt by his wife's side.

"All right," he said. "Where does it hurt?"

Lily gestured to her left side, from her hip up over one of her breasts to the side of her face.

_Vital organs first. _

Snape reached down to open her robes. Then a rather absurd thought struck him.

"Do you mind?"

"Now is not the time, Sev!"

Willing himself not to scowl at the men who were watching, Snape opened her robes to the waist and went to work.

Several deep cuts, probably made by shrapnel, studded her stomach, the top of her left breast, and up around her collar bone.

_The man was right. None of these are deep._

He gestured with his wand and traced the wounds, murmuring the singing cure Lily had taught him so long ago.

The wounds closed, only to reopen as soon as he pulled his wand away.

_Damn it. The man was right about that too._

He focused on the cut that looked the most dangerous, a deep gash three inches long just above her navel.

_All right, first things first._

He began singing again, louder this time, forcing all his love for his injured wife and his anger at the Death Eaters who'd hurt her through his wand into the wound.

The cut closed up. Snape held his wand over the wound for a long moment, then moved it away. The wound didn't reopen and didn't even have any scarring.

_Thank God._

He moved from wound to wound, healing them in the same manner. He pulled Lily's red hair aside and went to work on her face.

_Damn it._

Her hair had obscured the cut on her cheek. The shrapnel or flying glass or whatever had hit her had nearly gone all the way through.

Snape went to work. The wound closed up like the others, then partly opened up again.

_Well bugger._

Snape focused even more on the wound, bringing all his ruthless Slytherin will to bear.

The wound finally closed and stayed closed. Unfortunately, there was now a thin white scar on her left cheek. Snape tried to heal that too, but the scar resisted even his healing powers.

_Damn it. Perhaps a specialist could fix it._

"You're fine now, Lily," he said. "All your wounds are healed."

She pulled her hair aside. "Even this one?" she asked, gesturing to her face. "What do I look like?"

Snape restrained himself from rolling his eyes.

_Remember, a scarred man is an object of admiration, but a scarred woman is an object of pity._

"There's a scar there, a small one."

He thought back to his books.

"I think dittany should fix it, or at least reduce it."

He Transfigured a portion of the floor into a mirror. Lily pulled her hair aside, looked at it, and sighed with relief.

"Thank God."

Then she hugged him fiercely.

"I'm glad I'm alive," she said. "For a moment there, when the explosion came, I thought…"

He voice trailed off.

"Sev, you weren't here when the bomb went off. What happened to you?"

"They had a bomb at the Apothecary's too. If I hadn't gotten the Shield up…"

Then he remembered that despite the Shield charm, he still had some glass embedded in him.

"Let me handle that," Lily said.

"Lily, you were just healed. I don't think."

"Sev, really."

She pulled her robes closed and went to work. Snape winced as she began pulling pieces of glass out of him…

April 8th, 1979

9:15 AM

The mediwizards arrived soon afterward and gave Lily a clean bill of health. To be safe, they recommended she have the rest of the day off, and her employer had readily agreed.

Having made sure she was all right, Snape Apparated back to the Apothecary's shop. He found the owner standing alone amidst the rubble, tears trickling down his face.

"My life's work," Simmons said. "All of it, gone."

Snape shook his head.

"Sir," he said. "I'm sure the insurance company will help cover the costs of rebuilding and you've got money saved…"

Simmons shook his head.

"The insurance company will cover the cost of rebuilding and then jack up premiums until I've paid for it twice over," he said. "Premiums are already high enough with the Death Eaters attacking everywhere. Soon I would imagine they'll stop insuring against Death Eater attacks altogether."

Snape swallowed.

_That would certainly be bad._

It would probably take a few bankruptcies among insurers to force something that radical to take place and then the Death Eaters would really be able to take the entire economy hostage.

_They might not have the numbers to march into the Ministry and take over by force, but they could blackmail us into submission._

"Sir," Snape said. "You can count on me for…"

Simmons shook his head.

"Son, you're the reason the Death Eaters attacked."

_As if I don't know that._

"I can't take the risk you could draw them back here."

Snape barely restrained his jaw from dropping.

_Oh no. He intends to…_

"I'm going to have to let you go."

Snape swallowed.

"Sir," he said. "That would be giving into them. When the Death Eaters threatened to…"

Simmons scowled.

"The Ministry can afford to stand up to them like that. I can't."

He shook his head.

"I'll give you some extra money — perhaps a hundred galleons — as a severance package and a good recommendation. That's the best I can do."

"Sir…"

"Don't argue with me, Snape."

Snape sighed.

"Very well, sir. Should I collect my money in person or will you mail it to my home?"

"I'll mail it to you. Don't come around here again."

Snape scowled. There were a lot of things he wanted to say to his former employer, most of them unpleasant.

_Don't jeopardize those hundred galleons._

"Very well, sir."

_I'll hate having to break this to Lily._

April 8th, 1979

12:30 PM

The two of them sat around the kitchen table at Spinner's End, a stack of financial documents between them.

"It's not your fault, Sev," Lily said.

Snape raised an eyebrow.

"It isn't? Something tells me they wouldn't have targeted James' shop if it weren't for the fact I'm a very efficient killer of Death Eaters."

"But he made the choice to fire you. He didn't _have_ to."

Snape shook his head.

"If the Death Eaters know where I work, they'll keep attacking. He was cutting his losses."

He sighed.

"He says he'll give me a good recommendation, but once people start finding out _why_ I'm looking for work, they won't hire me. Nobody wants to bring down the Death Eaters on them..."

"My employer didn't fire me."

"Your employer could afford not to. They can set up better security, hire watchmen, weather financial losses. I don't know if Simmons can even afford to put his shop back together."

He sighed again.

"Let's see how much income we've got between us."

_We've got some savings, but those'll disappear quickly if we don't add to them._

He opened a folder marked "Sev" in Lily's loopy, bubbly handwriting and withdraw some statements.

"Okay. Sectumsempra was added to the Hogwarts Defense against the Dark Arts curriculum last year."

His eyes leaped from statement to statement and he ran the numbers in his head.

"I'd need some paper and a pencil to be sure, but I think I make hundred galleons per year on royalties from that alone."

He shifted his attention to a different set of statements.

"Although Beaubaxtons is refusing to add it to their curriculum, Durmstrang has done so with a vengeance. Add the numbers here…"

He sighed and shook his head. "Three hundred galleons a year. That's an eighth of what I made a year at the Apothecary's and about the same fraction of what you make at your job."

He frowned. "Five days into our marriage and I'm already turning into a parasite. Not even Father was this bad. For all his faults, he made sure Mum never needed to work."

_We were poor, but I at least had one parent around, a parent who taught me all about what it meant to be a wizard and a Slytherin._

Lily covered his hand with hers.

"Sev, I don't mind being the sole breadwinner, at least for a bit," she said. "Besides, you've forgotten another source of income."

She reached into the bottom of his file and pulled out a wanted poster. Snape's dark eyes widened.

_Mulciber Sr._

"How much did you make from him?"

Snape looked at the post.

_1,500 galleons. That's more than half what I'd have made at a year at Simmons' shop._

"And how much did you make…" She swallowed. "How much did you make the night Sirius and Ian died?"

_Much more than that._

"With all the Death Eaters you've…neutralized, you've made as much if not more than you would have made working for the Apothecary. We're still soldiers in a war, Sev, and we draw soldiers' pay."

_Not as reliable_, Snape thought. _It wouldn't be wise to rely on that. It's been months since we've been called out to fight._

Then an idea hit him.

_It's been months since we've done battle with the Death Eaters, but it's not like I need orders from Dumbledore to fight._

"Sev," Lily asked, furrowing her brows. "Sev, why are you smiling?"

"I think I've found a way I can pull my weight while I look for regular employment," he said.

She raised her eyebrows.

"What might that be?"

His smile got wider as a thought occurred to him.

_This will lighten the mood a little._

"I'll tell you in half an hour or so," he said.

He stepped over and hoisted her out of her chair.

"But first…"

Lily laughed and kissed him as he carried her up the stairs.


	59. Charity Work

Charity Work

**Charity Work**

By Matthew W. Quinn

April 20th, 1979 AD

11:30 AM

_I can't believe Dumbledore is making me do this_, Severus Snape thought as Lucius Malfoy cleared his throat and began to speak before the assembled wizarding dignitaries and journalists.

He thought back to just how he ended up in this situation.

April 17th, 1979 AD

7:30 PM

"You want me to serve as a bodyguard for Malfoy?" Snape repeated.

"This is the second time you've said it, Mr. Snape," Albus Dumbledore replied, "And nothing has changed since you said it the first time."

Snape sighed.

"What purpose will this serve?"

"Well, firstly, it is a condition of more funding from the Wizengamot," Dumbledore said. "The Order of the Phoenix receives funding from the Ministry and, since they hold the power of the purse, that gives them certain…leverage. Besides, Malfoy asked for you specifically."

Snape raised an eyebrow.

_Last time I saw Malfoy, he threw me headfirst into the Slytherin dormitory's door. What could he want?_

"He said you were the only member of the Order of the Phoenix he could trust with his person. It could be because you are a Slytherin like himself…"

Gears were turning in Snape's head.

"Or it's because there's something he wants."

Dumbledore smiled.

"Precisely, Mr. Snape. It's not only because the Wizengamot — where Malfoy has many friends — is pulling the strings that I'm requesting you do this. This could be an opportunity to gather intelligence on the enemy."

_Makes sense._

"Very well. What is the occasion?"

"Malfoy has a reputation as a charitable man and, as such, has endowed an orphanage for wizard children killed in the war. The ribbon-cutting is in three days."

April 20th, 1979 AD

11:35 AM

"And so, it is with a great deal of pride and pleasure that I dedicate this orphanage, which will provide a safe place for those of magical blood orphaned in this cruel and destructive conflict," Malfoy finished.

_A conflict your people started_, Snape thought. _Still, the speech is over and it's time to look like you're paying attention._

He followed Malfoy as the older man stepped away from the podium towards the silver ribbon that hung in the orphanage door. With a flourish, Malfoy drew his wand and neatly cut the ribbon.

The assembled crowd applauded and the press took photos. Malfoy beamed and Snape suppressed a scowl.

_You don't want to look unenthusiastic on the cover of_ The Daily Prophet, _do you? That'll make things more difficult for the Order._

So Snape smiled and stood alongside the older Slytherin until the cheering wound down and the cameras stopped flashing.

"Severus," Malfoy whispered. "I have something I'd like to discuss with you."

Snape raised an eyebrow.

_Something's going on. Best play along, you might learn something._

"What might this be?"

Malfoy smiled. "Follow me and I'll tell you."

He waved to the crowds and walked around the corner of orphanage. Snape followed, as did a photographer from the _Prophet_.

Malfoy turned, looked at the photographer, and shook his head. The man quickly retreated.

_Wow_, Snape thought, his old admiration momentarily returning. _A man who even the press corps obeys._

"Firstly, Severus, I would like to congratulate you on your recent marriage."

Malfoy smiled and clapped Snape on the shoulder.

_He's been calling me by my first name all morning and he's being friendly_, Snape observed. _He definitely wants something._

"Thank you…Lucius."

"How is married life treating you?"

"Well," Snape said guardedly.

Malfoy smiled.

"Marriage is better when there are no problems with money, and I've heard that you are now in need of employment. How goes the job hunt?"

Snape swallowed.

_Not as well as I would like._

In the aftermath of his dismissal, Snape had pondered his job options. He had not done as well at Herbology as he needed in order to apply for Healer training at St. Mungo's and Auror training had similarly high standards.

_I could always apply for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, but their background check process takes months. I wouldn't want to impose on Lily that long._

And his plan to hunt Death Eaters for the bounties on their heads wasn't going well. He managed to ferret out two shopkeepers in Knockturn Alley who might be willing to cooperate — in exchange for a share of the gold, of course, to make up for losing customers — but no opportunities had presented themselves.

"It's…going, Lucius."

Malfoy smiled.

"Today is your lucky day, Severus. I think I've got a job for you."

_So that's why he wanted to see me. Probably hoping to use me as another spy._

"What job might that be?"

Malfoy's smile grew wider.

"Prince of the Half-Bloods."

Snape barely restrained his jaw from dropping.

_He doesn't want to give me a job in hopes of using me to get information on the Order. He's trying to recruit me to the Death Eaters!_

Before the fight with Mulciber, Malfoy had promised Snape that under the Dark Lord's rule, Snape would be given the title of Half Blood Prince and rule those of mixed ancestry in the Dark Lord's name.

"Think about it," Malfoy said. "There will be…additional benefits, this time."

"Such as?"

"Well, my employer is a proponent of strong families, so he will make allowances for your dear wife. In fact, he will make allowances for your parents as well, although your father may require…encouragement to change his ways."

Snape suppressed a smile. Once upon a time, he and Malfoy had gone over all sorts of interesting ideas on how to make Tobias Snape treat his wife better, most of which were extremely painful.

_That I can support._

"Think about it," Malfoy said. "Right now, you're a marked man, and that makes your employment options extremely limited. However, I am willing to overlook that. What say you?"

Snape repressed a scowl.

"This is excellent timing, Malfoy, considering it was earlier this month some of your friends tried to kill Lily and me. If I'd been to work a little earlier that day, I'd probably be dead, and Lily's got a scar on her face."

Malfoy shook his head.

"I must apologize on their behalf. They were a bit…overzealous."

_You can say that._

"But right now, I am high in my employer's favor, higher than those people. As long as I am favored, I can ask for favors, since…"

"He rewards his helpers," Snape finished.

Malfoy smiled.

"You were always clever, Severus." Malfoy paused, then spoke again. "This offer is time-sensitive. At any moment, my employer could bestow his favor on another, on one who desires your death."

"Like some of my former friends?"

Malfoy merely shrugged.

"Perhaps."

_Clever. Doesn't want to implicate himself by admitting he knows a lot of the internal politics of the Death Eaters._

"So, Severus, I ask you. Are you willing to take on this job?"

_He's offering you power and safety, not only for yourself, but for Lily, Mum, and Father too. There's probably a lot of money in it too. Better than counting one's knuts like I'm doing now, living off my wife…_

It had been years since he dreamed of serving the Dark Lord, of ruling over the Half-Bloods in his name.

_But there'd be only Half-Bloods and Pure-Bloods. The so-called Mudbloods would be gone, killed off or driven back into the Muggle world._

And one of these so-called Mudbloods was his wife. Even if she went along with it —and Snape knew she would sooner die — he did not wish to help build a world where she lived only at others' sufferance.

"No," Snape whispered. He wasn't sure if he was talking to Malfoy or himself.

Malfoy raised an eyebrow.

"What is that, Severus? I don't think I heard you clearly."

Malfoy's presumption irritated Snape and, perversely, gave him courage.

"I said no, Malfoy. You've chosen your way and I've chosen mine."

Malfoy's smile immediately vanished.

"Very well, _Snape_," Malfoy hissed. "You've made your choice. There will be no further opportunities."

Snape allowed himself to smile darkly.

"The same to you Malfoy, the same to you."

The older man regarded him coldly for a moment, turned around, and walked away.

April 20th, 1979 AD

5:30 PM

"So, dear boy, how did it go?" Dumbledore asked.

"Well, Malfoy tried to recruit me to the Death Eaters," Snape said bluntly.

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow.

"Don't worry, sir. It did not work. Bloody waste of time, that."

"On the contrary, Mr. Snape," the elderly wizard said.

Snape raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean, sir?"

"Well, you've killed many Death Eaters and helped capture countless others. If Voldemort is seeking to bring a known 'blood traitor' into his ranks and even willing to tolerate a Muggle-born…"

"That's nothing new," Snape interrupted. "Lily told me that when she and Potter were dating, the Death Eaters offered him a place in their ranks and said they'd find a place for her too."

"Mr. Potter had done far less harm to Voldemort's cause then than you have now, Mr. Snape."

Snape allowed himself a small smile.

_True._

"If Voldemort is willing to accept you into his army, he must be getting desperate."

Dumbledore narrowed his blue eyes.

"And that means it's time to strike."


	60. Preparing for Battle

Preparing for Battle

**Preparing for Battle**

By Matthew W. Quinn

May 1st, 1979 AD

6 PM

Severus Snape sat in a comfortable chair at the Order of the Phoenix headquarters, his large nose buried in a copy of _Gormenghast_ that he'd received as a wedding gift.

_Good Slytherin, that Steerpike_, he thought. _Although some of his methods — namely murder — are a bit extreme. I suppose that's what happens when you don't have a conscience._

He looked over at his wife Lily Evans Snape, who was chatting merrily with Mary Macdonald, James Potter, and an older Order member he didn't recognize.

For the first time since Potter had shown an interest in Lily, Snape didn't feel uneasy when she and Potter were talking. He allowed himself a small smile.

_Even though Potter's better-looking, more socially adept, and richer, she chose you anyway. That's worth smiling about._

The fact that Potter had more money reminded him that he still hadn't found a new job and the initial investment in his plan to hunt Death Eaters — greasing palms in Knockturn Alley and paying the goblins to craft a metallic shield that would be strong enough to deflect the Killing Curse — ate scarce funds.

_I'm going to catch one of those bastards, hack them to bits, and take the chunks to the Ministry in a basket_. _Cubed Death Eater — a rare treat, and hopefully one they'll pay well for._

"Hallo, Sev!" John Anderson announced as he came in the front door. "What're you up to these days?"

Snape forced himself to smile.

"Well, I've been hanging out Diagon Alley with the goblins a lot. Our long-fingered friends have gotten that shield I wanted done just right."

Anderson nodded. "Excellent. I'm having one of my own made too."

Snape raised an eyebrow.

_You too? I had one made and Lily's considering it. Of course, if more and more people are adopting the idea, this could be really useful._

"If enough members of the Order adopt it, we could revive the testudo," Snape said.

"What's that? 'Testudo' means 'turtle,' right?"

_Not everyone reads about Muggle military history like you have._

"In Roman times, they used a formation called the testudo. Overlapping shields all around and on top too. Useful for protecting against projectiles, thrown rocks and the like."

Anderson nodded.

"That sounds like a really good idea. I wonder why nobody's ever thought of that?"

_I wonder about that myself, sometimes._

"Well, I suppose it has something to do with the infrequency of outright wars among wizards and the prevalence of dueling. When we do go to war, we use our dueling training to fight one another."

_And there really isn't a lot of innovation in technique beyond finding more and more interesting ways to duel._

Anderson nodded.

"Makes sense."

Albus Dumbledore, Elphias Doge, and Frank Longbottom took that as their cue to come into the house. Longbottom gestured to the front door, which slammed shut of its own accord, and then made some movements with his wand.

_He's warding it so nobody can get it and no sound can get out. Plus Pettigrew isn't here, so it's something we can't risk filtering back to the Dark Lord. Something big is about to happen._

Then he remembered what Dumbledore had told him earlier about it being time to strike.

_Things are going to get very interesting. Either I'll be swimming in gold from dead Death Eaters or I'll be dead._

"This meeting of the Order of the Phoenix is called to order," Dumbledore said formally.

Lily disengaged from her friends and plopped down in a chair next to Snape, while Anderson took Lily's place at the table with Potter and Lupin.

"Important news tonight, so I'm going to get down to business," Longbottom said. "We've found the location of the Death Eaters' primary base."

Snape leaned forward in his chair.

_Very interesting._

"And we're going to smash it. Intelligence suggests this is where Voldemort is much of the time, so we might come face-to-face with him."

_Very_, very _interesting_.

"So, before you leave, I'm going to have all of you make an Unbreakable Vow not to reveal this information to anyone who is not attending the meeting tonight."

_They definitely want to keep this secret._

Everyone began muttering at once.

"Any of you not comfortable making this vow will have to be put in protective custody at Azkaban until the attack, to make sure you don't spill the beans."

The muttering increased. Longbottom snorted.

"I said _protective_ custody. We won't put you in a cage with a Dementor if you don't feel you can keep a secret. We're pretty sure the Death Eaters haven't infiltrated the Azkaban staff yet."

Doge cleared his throat and Longbottom stepped back, enabling him to come to the fore.

"We have reason to believe that the Dark Lord and his chief lieutenants will be gathered at an old Muggle mine. We're going to be fighting in enclosed spaces and since Defense against the Dark Arts did not cover that style of fighting, we're going to have some training sessions beforehand."

_Dueling underground? Special training sessions?_

Snape raised his hand.

"Yes, Mr. Snape?"

"Why don't we flood the mines with Garroting Gas? Anyone who doesn't strangle is going to be forced to the surface and we can fight them there."

Doge shook his head.

"A clever idea, Mr. Snape, but not this time. The Death Eaters use the mine as a prison. We have reason to believe there are at least ten captives down there."

_Dam and blast._

Doge smiled.

"I like the way you think, Mr. Snape. Perhaps we could have you come to our strategy sessions?"

Lily beamed and took Snape's hand. Snape allowed himself a small smile.

_This would be a step up. Why be an apothecary's aide if I can be a general?_

"Is that a salaried position, sir?"

Laughter rippled throughout the room. Snape reddened and repressed a scowl — even after all these years, it still felt as if they were laughing _at_ him.

"Subtle as a flying brick, Severus," Marlene McKinnon said.

Doge shook his head.

"Sorry, Mr. Snape. We're all volunteers here."

_Well damn._

"Of course, if your strategies help bring down many Death Eaters, perhaps you can apply for a percentage."

_That's better._

"When will our attack actually take place?" Potter asked.

"Two weeks from tomorrow. We'll be training intensively. I'm thinking you, Mr. Lupin, and Mr. Snape will have the most time to train."

_For different reasons_, Snape thought, repressing a scowl.

"If You-Know-Who himself is going to be there, we'll need Aurors, all we can get. Who's coming?"

"Well," Doge began. "I'll certainly be there, as will Albus."

Gasps rippled through the room. Snape raised an eyebrow.

_Dumbledore himself is coming? Things are definitely coming to a head._

"Well, Frank will be there, as will Dawlish, Scrimgeour, and Shacklebolt. Alice will be taking it easy for awhile."

Doge looked over to Longbottom. Slowly, the other Auror stepped forward.

"Well, we were originally planning to keep it quiet for awhile, but I don't want anyone thinking Alice is slacking off."

He swallowed.

"Alice and I are going to have a baby."

Potter started clapping and soon the room erupted in cheers.

"Congratulations!" Lily called out.

Snape clapped politely.

_This is very interesting. Hopefully Lily isn't going to be interested in one of her own anytime soon._

"And in the interesting of our future son's health, we've decided to take her off combat duties for the duration," Longbottom continued.

_Makes sense. Dark Magic is dangerous enough to adults — it might well cause problems in utero._

He made a note to keep his own experimentations to a minimum when, assuming the war ended in their lifetimes, Lily was expecting.

Longbottom cleared his throat.

"The fact that we'll be slightly understaffed means we'll need to be even more efficient when we do strike. The Muggle government has been so kind to provide us with a map of the mine in question and since time is the essence, we'll begin training sessions tomorrow."

"After, of course, we all swear Unbreakable Vows," Doge said. "You will make the Vows to Dumbledore and I will act as the Bonder. Line up please."

The members of the Order of the Phoenix rose and began lining up, some a bit more hesitantly than others.

Snape turned to Lily.

"Can you keep a secret?"

Lily looked a bit paler than usual.

"I'd better."


	61. War Underground

War Underground

**War Underground**

By Matthew W. Quinn

**Author's Note:** Lily's going to get rather angry and destructive in this battle and kudos to Sindie for coming up with what she's going to do. Kudos also to the French Dark Lord for a new curse that Snape will deploy in the battle.

May 16th, 1979

5:30 PM

_So it begins_, thought Severus Snape as he peered down the entrance to the Muggle mine.

Beside him, his wife Lily Evans Snape squeezed his hand.

"You ready, Sev?" she asked.

Snape nodded and hefted the metal buckler the goblins had made for them.

"Ready as ever," he said. He looked to the bag at his feet, a bag that contained a means of taking the Death Eaters — who would have the advantage of being on the defensive and possibly numbers as well — by surprise.

"Be careful," she said. "You defied Malfoy and, through him, You-Know-Who himself. They'll be after you tonight."

Snape smiled. "If they know we're coming."

Almost the entire membership of the Order of the Phoenix — even people like Mundungus Fletcher, who ordinarily did not participate in combat operations — had turned out for the attack on the Death Eater base. Snape estimated there were around twenty wizards and witches gathered in front of the main entryway of the mine, with two smaller parties watching alternative entrances.

"They don't," Frank Longbottom said. "Dumbledore tells me that they think the hammer's going to fall on Knockturn Alley in two weeks. Hopefully they'll be totally unprepared."

He then stepped away to confer with Elphias Doge and Kingsley Shacklebolt, the two other Aurors in the primary attack group. Snape knew that Rufus Scrimgeour and John Dawlish were with the other two squads and Albus Dumbledore was making the rounds between them.

A phoenix Patronus landed amidst the Aurors and spoke with Dumbledore's voice.

"Everyone is ready to go," it said. "We'll have to be quick — we don't want to give the Death Eaters time to kill their hostages."

Longbottom turned to James Potter.

"You ready?" he asked.

Potter nodded. He reached into his bag and pulled out the Invisibility Cloak. An older man that Snape recognized as Edgar Bones stepped forward and the two of them disappeared under the Cloak.

May 16th, 1979

5:31 PM

Potter and Bones made their way into the tunnel. Darkness fell and both wizards cast the Illuminating Charm, lighting up the tip of their wands.

Ahead of them, the long tunnel stretched into darkness. They walked forward, wands lighting the way, and saw an empty elevator shaft ahead of them.

_The Muggle owners probably removed the elevator when the mine was abandoned_, Potter thought. _They should have left it here and locked it up or simply filled the shaft with concrete. Some kid could wander in here and fall._

He made a note to do something about that when the mission was finished.

The two of them walked to the edge of the shaft and looked down.

_It's only a fifteen foot drop. The coal vein must've run close to the surface here._

He decided to make sure there wasn't anyone below, since they could lose the Invisibility Cloak when they dropped down.

_Hominem revelio._

There was nobody close to the bottom of the shaft.

_Good._

Bones cast several Cushioning Charms and the two of them stepped into the void. They landed on their feet with only minimal ankle pain and made their way forward.

_All right. The Death Eaters are keeping their hostages in a chamber in the western part of the complex._

As they made their way through the tunnels, they discovered magical torches embedded in the walls.

_Clever. No evidence they're even here until deep inside. Many people would have given up by now._

Two Death Eaters came around the bend.

"Against the wall," Bones whispered.

One of the Death Eaters looked up.

"What was that?" he asked.

"What was what?" responded the other.

"Though I heard something," the first Death Eater said. "Sounded like someone was talking."

The second Death Eater looked around.

"I don't see anything."

Bones and Potter pressed themselves against the wall. The pair of Death Eaters walked by, passing mere inches from the two Order men.

Once the evil pair had passed, Potter and Bones made their way to where the Death Eaters were holding their hostages.

There were ten prisoners in a large cell that looked to have been magically cut into the wall. Potter could smell them from a dozen yards away.

_Ugh. They're keeping them in filth._

Four Death Eaters guarded them. As Potter and Bones drew near, one of them ran his wand along the bars.

"Blood traitors, the lot of you," the Death Eater growled. "Maybe we'll feed you today, maybe we won't."

One of the prisoners made a grab for the wand. The Death Eater laughed, then stepped back and Cruciated him.

"You've got spirit, I'll give you that," the Death Eater said over the man's screams. "Let's see how much of that is left when Bellatrix and her trainees get done with you."

The Death Eater's back was turned and the other three didn't look like they were paying attention.

"Now," Bones ordered.

_Stupefy! Stupefy!_

Potter Stunned two of the guards, while Bones Stunned the other two. The two Order members emerged from under the Cloak, with Bones Petrifying their fallen enemies for good measure.

Potter turned his attention to the cell holding the prisoners.

"Stand back," he ordered. "We're with the Order of the Phoenix. We're here to get you out."

_Reducto!_

The lock holding the door closed crumpled inward and Potter tore the door open.

Several of the prisoners rushed out of the cell. However, some of them remained behind, huddled in corners or pressed up against the walls of the cell. Potter took a step into the cell and they whimpered at the sight of him.

_Uh oh._

He quickly stepped back out.

"What's wrong with them?" Potter asked one of the hale prisoners, who was busy kicking one of the defeated Death Eaters.

"Oh," the woman said, turning her attention from the man she was abusing. "They've been here the longest and have endured the most."

_That sounds bad._

"Endured the most what? I heard them talking about Bellatrix and trainees, which can't be good."

"Bellatrix trains the new Death Eaters on how to use the Cruciatus and Imperius Curses. The Cruciatus is bad enough, but what she's made us do to each other…"

The woman swallowed. Potter nodded.

_Not going to ask any more questions._

"How're we going to get out of here?"

"Easy," Bones said. "There are ten of you and four wands you can use. Use Side-Along Apparition."

He tossed the Death Eaters' wands to four of the healthiest-looking prisoners. They managed to cajole the frightened ones into getting up and Apparated them to the surface.

"Hopefully they'll come back," Bones said. "The Death Eaters are probably on their way now."

The four Apparated back into the Death Eater dungeon at the same time Rodolphus Lestrange stormed in.

"What the hell's going on in here?" he growled. "You're not supposed to be Apparating…"

His voice trailed off as he spotted the two Order members.

_Oh bugger_, Potter thought. _Things just got complicated._

Rodolphus Lestrange was not as powerful as his infamous wife, but he would be difficult for both of them to deal with.

"Why, it's a pair of blood traitors. How'd you get in?"

Both men moved to Shield themselves, but Lestrange got a curse in before Potter complete the charm. Potter felt himself raising his wand, turning and pointing it at Bones without a care in the world.

_Stop it! He's going to make you kill Bones and then spill the beans!_

His hand shook as his will struggled against the Imperius Curse. His arm ground to a halt well below the height needed to curse his ally.

Bones swore and cast a barrage of curses at Lestrange. He then stabbed at Potter with his wand and suddenly everything was back to normal.

"Be quicker next time or they'll make you into a bloody weapon," he growled.

Then there was only time to duck and dodge as Lestrange fired back. Bones leaped aside as a Killing Curse flashed past him and barely missed one of the prisoners as they Apparated away. He fired some Blasting Curses at the Death Eater, who deflected all of them.

The bursts of silver light slammed into the walls and ceiling and Potter heard something rumble above them.

_Be careful using explosive spells down here. The whole mine could come down on top of us._

Lestrange attacked. A ball of fire erupted from his wand and licked around the edges of Bones' Shield charm, singing his robes. Potter moved to attack, only to be forced back by a pair of Killing Curses that missed him by inches.

_Bugger!_

Lestrange then cast Reductor at a nearby wall and the chunks of flying debris sent Bones flying. Lestrange turned his malevolent attention towards Potter.

"Tonight you join Bella's cousin," he growled. "You got me once, but I'll get you."

He threw a Killing Curse. Potter threw himself on the ground, the curse passing through where he'd been standing.

_Damn it. Time to make a buckler like Snape's._

Lestrange leaped forward like an enraged bull. He brought down a booted foot but Potter managed to roll out of the way and cast Reductor at Lestrange's chest.

The older Death Eater leaned back, the curse passing in front of his face to slam into the ceiling. Chunks of rock dropped onto Lestrange.

Lestrange moved to shield himself and that left him vulnerable to Bones. The older man stabbed with his wand and Lestrange hit the ground, stiff as a board.

Bones then took Lestrange's wand and broke it on his knee.

"All right," Potter said. "That's taken care of."

The two of them picked up the Petrified Death Eater and tossed him into the cage where the hostages were kept.

_Now to wait for the signal the others are inside and attacking._

May 16th, 1979

5:37 PM

CRACK!

The last of the prisoners materialized near the Order positions outside the mine. Wands were raised until it was established that the new arrivals weren't going to attack.

"Is that all of you?" Longbottom asked.

"Yes," one of them said. "But Rodolphus Lestrange arrived when we were leaving. He and your people are fighting."

_Well, there goes taking all of them by surprise all at once_, Snape thought. _No battle plan survives contact with the enemy._

The other members of the Order of the Phoenix reached into their bags and pulled out Invisibility Cloaks of their own.

_These aren't as effective as Potter's_. _However, we only need to use them once._

Longbottom and Doge cast their Patronuses, sending word to the other attack parties.

"All in!" Longbottom ordered.

Invisible under their cloaks, the Order of the Phoenix rushed into the mine.

May 16th, 1979

5:40 PM

The Order of the Phoenix spread out through the tunnels once they passed the elevator shaft. Snape heard the party under Doge's command disappear down one tunnel while another party under Shacklebolt vanished down another.

_It's hard to tell who's going where under these bloody cloaks_, he thought. _Luckily I can hear well._

The tunnel opened up around them into a large chamber. Several stacks of crates stood against one wall and four Death Eaters guarded them.

_Four of them against five of us. Good odds._

Snape could feel the subtle changes in the area around them as Longbottom set anti-Disapparition jinxes from under his cloak. The Death Eaters drew their wands, feeling the presence of magic as well.

"Now!" the Auror shouted, tearing his cloak aside. The four Death Eaters moved to attack him, only to be attacked themselves by the other members, who did not immediately remove their cloaks.

Two Death Eaters went down, either Stunned or Petrified. Two of them, however, were quick enough to dodge and retaliate.

A wave of Killing Curses hurtled in their direction. All the Order members dodged the attacks, but they dropped their cloaks in the process.

_Lily, Marlene McKinnon, and Caradoc Dearborn_, Snape noted. _Looks like everyone came down here all right._

He saw one Death Eater lunge at Lily.

_Oh no you don't. Sectumsempra!_

Snape's spell slashed the Death Eater from the palm of his wand hand all the way to his shoulder. The Death Eater screamed, blood erupting from his mangled arm.

_Looks like I missed all the veins._

The Death Eater switched hands and cast Incarcerous at him. Snape deflected the web of ropes and slashed again, ripping open the Death Eater's chest and face.

Despite his injuries, the Death Eater kept coming. He cast the Reductor Curse, forcing Snape to Shield himself, and then hurled the Killing Curse.

Snape tried to dodge, but wasn't quick enough. He was, however, fast enough to bring up the goblin-made metal shield.

A ball of fire erupted as the jet of green light slammed into his metal shield. He could feel the flames kissing his robes and hair, but he was still alive, so the shield worked.

_God bless you, you goblins._

Snape retaliated with a curse he learned from _The_ _Courland Grimoire_.

_Os intorqueo!_

The red light slammed into the Death Eater and slammed him into the ground. The man convulsed and screamed as Snape's spell took effect.

The first things affected were the man's fingers. Snape saw them lengthening, growing to twice their normal length and twisting in on themselves. The man's mask rose off his face as his teeth tore through his lips to push against it, while spurs of bone forced their way through his shoes.

Despite this torment, the man still would not stop. He scrabbled for his wand with his distorted hands and managed to grab hold of it. He began to raise it…

Then Lily Petrified him.

"Good shot," Snape said.

"Thanks," she replied.

The man's bones continued to warp and twist. Snape saw the man's breastbone and collarbone rising beneath his black robes.

_I wonder what he'll look like by the time the battle's over and we can collect defeated enemies?_

Marlene brought down the last Death Eater, leaving the Order members in control of the chamber.

"All right," Longbottom said. "I'll set wards to warn us if the Death Eaters come in from elsewhere…"

Then he spun and fired the Killing Curse at three new Death Eaters who came boiling out the tunnel opposite them. The first Death Eater went down, but the others opened fire with curses of their own. One of them fired Reductor at the ceiling, sending chunks of rock dropping into the chamber.

The Order members leaped to avoid the falling rocks. One of the Death Eaters targeted Marlene in mid-jump and laughed as he stabbed with his wand.

"Avada Kedavra!"

The jet of green light hurtled straight at Marlene.

"No!" Lily screamed.

The Killing Curse caught Marlene in midair. She was dead before she hit the ground.

"No!" Lily screamed again. The Death Eater cackled.

"You're next, pretty," he rasped.

Lily narrowed her eyes.

_Oh no_, Snape thought. _She's pissed off now._

Her response shocked Snape.

"Sectumsempra!"

Red light flashed. Lily's spell hit the Death Eater in the throat, cutting across his trachea and both his carotid arteries. The Death Eater went down gurgling.

_Damn. Lily hates Dark Magic. This is a bit of a…_

Then he saw the Death Eater's wand hand moving. The enemy clearly meant to take someone down with him.

_Oh no you don't. Petrificus totalis. _

The dying Death Eater froze stiff as a board.

_Let him sit there slowly feeling his lungs filling with blood and unable to do anything about it._

He was still somewhat irritated at Marlene's earlier meddling — the fact that it was well-intentioned did not defuse his anger — but the older woman was Lily's friend and Snape would not let anything that hurt his wife go unavenged.

Another Death Eater rushed into the room and joined the other survivor, spraying fire from his wand. Lily cast a Shield charm but the fire licked at the magic's edges, threatening to overflow her defense.

_Tripudio._

Snape's magic seized the Death Eater and smashed his head into the ceiling.

_Haven't had use for that one in awhile. Thanks, Mulciber._

The Death Eater hit the floor, unconscious, and Lily quickly Petrified him. Meanwhile, Longbottom, apparently in no mood to take prisoners, struck the other down with the Killing Curse.

Snape's dark eyes leaped over to the tunnel. He could hear footsteps coming.

_More Death Eaters. Bugger._

Quickly thinking back to the incantations he had studied in _The_ _Courland Grimoire_, Snape rushed forward and stabbed with his wand at the tunnel's maw. He made the appropriate incantations in his head and brought his other hand to his mouth.

_Fiendfyre will be murderous in an enclosed space._

He blew and watched as his breath turned to living fire once it had gotten beyond his hand. The firestorm rushed down the tunnel, a swarm of snakes taking shape amidst the flames.

The burning serpents lit up the tunnel and ahead of them, Snape could see men in black robes and white masks.

_Time for cooked Death Eater._

The fiery serpents struck like cobras, burning through the Death Eaters.

Snape had little time to gloat. At the other end of the tunnel, he could see Shacklebolt dueling two masked men at once.

_Damn it._

He gestured with his wand, trying to stop the fiery swarm. He managed to restrain the onslaught, but could feel an individual snake slipping through his fingers.

"Lily!" he shouted. "Send a Patronus to Shacklebolt. Tell him things are about to get very hot on his end!"

His speech loosened his grip further and he saw two fiery serpents enter the chamber beyond.

"Shacklebolt!" Snape screamed. "Fiendfyre!"

The black Auror's eyes met Snape's over the oncoming holocaust and he leaped aside, casting a Shield Charm. The fiery serpents flowed along the magical defense like water along a bend in a river. Shacklebolt's defense deflected the Fiendfyre into the two Death Eaters he was dueling and Snape watched as the striking snakes burned the two terrorists to ash.

"No more of that!" the Auror called out. "It'll suck up all of the oxygen!"

_That's a good point._

However impressive Fiendfyre could be, it had its limitations.

"Will do!" Snape called back.

The remaining cursed flames hammered at Shacklebolt's Shield until they dissipated.

"All right," Lily called out, apparently over the shock of her friend's death. "Follow me!"

Snape and the remaining members of their party followed her through the still-hot tunnel, stepping over heaps of ash studded with bone fragments and what looked like the melted remnants of watches, into the chamber where Shacklebolt stood.

"Report," Longbottom ordered Shacklebolt.

"One dead so far — Fenwick," the black Auror said. "We got the one who did it. Everyone else is hale and hearty."

"Good. Know anything about the others?"

"Got a Patronus from Doge. He and Dumbledore are cleaning them up, no losses on their end. Haven't heard anything from John and Rufus."

Longbottom shook his head. "That might be a bad sign."

_Yes. It could._

Then he looked towards a nearby tunnel.

"We've got more coming."

At the first glimpse of a white mask, Longbottom and Shacklebolt unleashed a wave of Killing Curses. Two dead Death Eaters spilled into the chamber and a third tripped over one of them and was quickly dispatched, but that left three.

"Get them, Dolohov!" one of them shouted and Snape felt his blood run cold. Dolohov was a notorious killer of law enforcement personnel and rumor had it he'd bagged an Auror.

One of the Death Eaters slashed with his wand and a burst of purple fire erupted from his wand.

_That one's Dolohov. Keep an eye on him._

Shacklebolt deflected the spell with a Shield charm but the impact forced him back. Dolohov then fired Reductor into the floor, sending him flying. He slammed into the wall and slumped onto the floor unconscious.

Longbottom fired the Killing Curse at Dolohov, but the evil wizard was able to dodge that. He hurled another blast of purple flames at Longbottom. The older Auror deflected the curse, sending the purple flames flying directly at Snape.

Snape instinctively threw himself to the side. As he tumbled, he cast Sectumsempra at the leg of a Death Eater who was dueling Dearborn. His spell must have cut something important—the man's leg folded like a chair and the curse he was throwing went wild. Dearborn Stunned him, but was sent flying by a Blasting curse from the third Death Eater.

Lily and a man from Shacklebolt's group that Snape did not recognize fired curses at the third Death Eater, who managed to deflect them and revive his Stunned comrade.

The revived Death Eater stabbed with his wand and Dearborn suddenly hurled a curse at Longbottom. Longbottom moved to Shield himself, but that left him open to attack by Dolohov, who struck him full-on with a Blasting spell.

The resulting explosion threw Longbottom into the tunnel with the incinerated Death Eaters. Dolohov then fired a barrage of Reductor and Blasting curses at the tunnel's mouth.

_He's either going to bury Longbottom alive or cut him off from the fight. Can't have that. Sectumsempra!_

Snape slashed at Dolohov from behind, hoping to crippled his wand arm, but the Death Eater spun at the last minute and deflected the curse.

"Severus Snape," he growled. "I've heard of you. Told off Malfoy himself."

He laughed and Snape felt his blood chill.

"I'll get a fat reward for you."

Snape moved to cast the Flesh-Rotting Curse at his opponent, but then Dolohov hurled his curse at him. Snape managed to catch the blow on his metallic shield, but the goblin-made device, already damaged by the Killing Curse, shattered. The impact sent Snape tumbling.

"Sev!" Lily cried out. She hurled a stream of Blasting Curses at Dolohov. The Death Eater managed to shield himself and his compatriot hurled the Killing Curse at Lily.

_Oh no you don't!_

Snape hurled the Bone Distortion curse he'd used earlier at the man who attacked Lily. The spell hit him full on and he collapsed to the ground, his collarbone and shoulder blades ripping their way through his robes and bone spurs from his ankles spearing his buttocks.

Snape's eyes jumped over to Lily, who appeared to be down.

_Oh no…_

Then she scrambled to her feet, bleeding from some cuts on her face.

"I'll get you, you…"

Then Dearborn — who must've been still under Imperius — attacked her and she had her hands full.

Dolohov loomed over Snape.

"Got you now, you blood traitor."

May 16th, 1979

5:50 PM

Meanwhile, Fletcher had decided to take advantage of the chaos to enrich himself.

During the initial penetration of the Death Eaters' lair, he'd spotted a dining room cut into the rock, a dining room whose magical lighting glittered off some fine silverware.

_I bet I can get a good price for that_, he thought as he slipped away from the battle. _Particularly if the buyers know it's silver that was nicked from You-Know-Who's table._

Someone cried out behind him and Fletcher looked. A Death Eater was looming over a young Order of the Phoenix fighter that he didn't recognize.

_Stupefy!_

The Death Eater toppled over unconscious and Fletcher disappeared around the corner, hopefully before the Order man could see his benefactor.

_Wouldn't be good to be caught in the act leaving the battle before it's over, even if I_ do _come back later._

Fletcher made his way out of the range of the Anti-Disapparition Jinx that had been laid earlier and closed his eyes. He focused on the dining room with the rich furnishings, recited the three Ds, and found himself there. He patted himself, making sure everything had come through in the correct places.

_Good. Splinching would not be a good thing right now._

He reached into his robes and pulled out a sack enchanted to hold a near-unlimited quantity of loot.

_Very helpful, if there's a lot of loot to be had._

He cast the buzzing charm the young Slytherin — Snape it was — had taught him in exchange for the names of some contacts in Knockturn Alley and twenty galleons. Then, the clattering hopefully obscured, he started shoveling the silverware into the bag.

_This is some rich stuff_, he thought. _I could get a few thousand galleons if I can carry off all of it._

Then a tall, thin shadow fell on him.

"Helping yourself to my property?" a high, cold voice asked.

Fletcher looked up. When he saw who was looming over him, his jaw dropped.

_It's Voldemort!_


	62. The Coming of the Dark Lord

The Coming of the Dark Lord

**The Coming of the Dark Lord**

By Matthew W. Quinn

May 16th, 1979

5:52 PM

Lord Voldemort looked down on the trembling, dirty-looking man who he had caught stealing his silverware.

_It appears the situation is worse than I thought, if the Order of the Phoenix is already looting _my_ fortress._

He made a note to have a word with Peter Pettigrew once the Order had been seen off.

_What good is a spy if you don't even know a major attack is coming?_

"Tell me, Mr. Fletcher — yes, I know who you are — why you thought it was acceptable to help yourself to my silverware?"

Mundungus Fletcher backed away, still holding onto his bag of loot.

_The little fool. If he'd thrown it at me and run, he might have had a chance of getting away._

He shook his head.

"Stealing from Lord Voldemort is not acceptable."

Fletcher threw his loot aside and grabbed for his wand. With a gesture, Voldemort pinned the would-be thief against the wall, then raised his wand.

_Imperio._

"Tell me, Mr. Fletcher, what exactly is the Order of the Phoenix doing here?"

The dog-like man shuddered for a moment — _his will must be stronger than I thought_ — then began to speak.

"They're here to destroy you," Fletcher said. "You and all your followers."

For a moment, Voldemort saw red, and when he'd calmed down, Fletcher was contorted in a fashion that reminded him of the crucified Muggle from the orphanage chapel, long ago.

"Is Dumbledore here?"

Fletcher nodded.

Voldemort released Fletcher. The man fell to the floor and from the way he crawled, it appeared several bones were broken.

_This could be the end of everything, everything I ever worked for. The old fool is the only wizard in the world more powerful than me._

He narrowed his eyes.

_Even the mighty can fall._

"Thank you, Fletcher. Avada Kedavra!"

The Dark Lord set off to war, leaving the corpse of the would-be pilferer behind him.

May 16th, 1979

5:55 PM

"Got you now, you blood traitor," the Death Eater Antonin Dolohov growled as he loomed over Severus Snape.

His wand jumped. So did Snape's left hand.

_Accio Dolohov's wand!_

Snape's magic tore the wand from Dolohov's hand before he could cast a curse. Snape allowed himself a small smile.

_I can hit him with two Sectumsempras at once, like I did with Mulciber's father._

Then the wand abruptly reversed course in midair and flew back into his hand.

"My wand always returns to me," the Death Eater growled.

He moved to curse, but Snape was faster.

_Sectumsempra!_

A long cut erupted from Dolohov's waist across his chest to his shoulder. The Death Eater screamed and blood spattered Snape's face.

Snape tried to use this distraction to scramble to his feet, but Dolohov growled and lashed out with a burst of purple flames at Snape's head and torso.

_Protego!_

Snape's Shield charm deflected the attack, although it knocked him two feet backward.

Then Dolohov stabbed low. Snape felt a blast of magic power slam into his left leg, knocking it out from under him. He barely repressed a scream.

Snape hit the ground and tried to scramble backwards, but pain erupted the whole length of his injured leg.

_Bugger._

He tried to rise to his feet, only to have the leg give away beneath him. He could feel something tearing, as though a knife was cutting through muscle.

_Sod all! If I keep this up, I'll end up with a compound fracture!_

Dolohov laughed, a cold, cruel sound.

"The boy Mulciber tells me you did something like that to him, long ago," he said.

_And I'd do it again. Bastard hurt Lily._

"Now I'll end this. Avada Kedav— "

He spun. Behind him, Snape could see Kingsley Shacklebolt rising to his feet.

Dolohov hissed in rage and hurled a curse at the Auror. Shacklebolt barely dodged and the curse shattered the wall where he had been standing. Shacklebolt cast a curse of his own at Dolohov, who deflected it with a Shield charm.

Snape saw the deflected curse fly towards Lily, who was dueling Caradoc Dearborn — probably under Imperius, unless he picked a really inconvenient time to turn traitor — and the other Death Eater.

"Watch out!" Snape shouted.

Lily heeded Snape's warning and ducked. The deflected curse sailed over her head and slammed into the Death Eater and sent him tumbling.

_Good shot, Dolohov._

Shacklebolt and Dolohov dueled. Ordinarily, Snape would have bet on the Auror, but having just regained consciousness, Shacklebolt was slow and looked a bit dizzy. Dolohov cast the Killing Curse and death missed the Auror by a centimeter.

_Time to even the odds. Sectumsempra!_

Dolohov spun and deflected the curse, but that left him open to an attack from Shacklebolt. The Auror sent Dolohov skidding across the chamber floor towards Snape.

The Death Eater was not out of tricks yet. As he slid away, he fired a curse at the floor at Shacklebolt's feet. The resulting explosion sent the Auror flying.

_Good trick, if you're fighting an enemy adept at Shielding himself._

Dolohov came to a halt close to Snape. Their eyes locked and the Death Eater lunged.

Snape swung with his left hand, fist connecting with the Death Eater's mask. He felt something give inside his knuckles and suppressed a cry, but his blow gave him an opening.

_Sectumsempra!_

Snape slashed the Death Eater across the throat. Blood erupted like a crimson fountain from the wound, soaking Snape.

_Bloody lovely._

Despite this probably-mortal wound, Dolohov refused to simply lie down and die. He drew a goblin-blade much like Snape's and lashed out with it.

Snape leaped back as best he could lying on his side and the blade only took away a chunk of his hair and little bit of his left ear instead of opening up his throat.

_Depulso!_

Snape's close-range spell blasted Dolohov across the room, the blood pumping from his opened carotid arteries painting a gory rainbow in the air.

Dolohov slammed into the chamber wall and slumped to the ground. Dearborn abruptly ceased his duel with Lily.

"What…what's going on?" he asked.

"Imperio," Lily said. "Don't worry about it. There's…"

Her jaw dropped.

"Lily?" Snape asked. "Is something…"

"Sev!" Lily half-screamed. "Behind you!"

"Severus Snape," a high cold voice said. "What did I ever do to you, to justify you killing one of my most loyal friends?"

Snape felt the hairs on the back of his neck rising.

_It's him. It's the Dark Lord._

Snape had only one chance — hit the bastard while he was making his dramatic entrance.

He spun, already making the wand movements for a Sectumsempra that would disembowel Voldemort.

"No you don't!" the Dark Lord shouted and Snape felt a magical hammer hit him in the gut. He fell to his knees, dropping his wand.

"It was this Mudblood, wasn't it?" Voldemort continued. "You were so desperately attached to your _pet_ you threw away a bright future…"

Snape glared up at the Dark Lord.

"Don't," he hissed. "Use that word."

Voldemort smiled cruelly.

"The zeal of a convert," Voldemort said. "I remember how not that long ago how _you_ used that word."

_Yes. Yes I did. But not anymore._

Then Lily made her move. Behind him, he could hear her scream, feel the wave of magic pass overhead.

The Dark Lord brought his arms up and caught Lily's curse on his forearms. The resulting explosion knocked him back a foot. He snarled, red eyes glowing with rage, and stabbed with his wand.

"Time to die, Mudblood," the Dark Lord said, voice growing harsh. "Avada Ked—"

"Not so fast!" Snape heard James Potter shout.

The Dark Lord broke off his attack and spun to face Potter and Edgar Bones, who emerged from another tunnel behind him.

For once, Snape felt unabashed gratitude towards his old rival.

Bones and Potter unleashed a barrage of Reductor and Blasting Curses at Voldemort. Voldemort deflected them with the wave of an arm, sending bursts of light slamming into the walls and ceiling. Flying chips of rock saturated the air. Snape felt one clip across his hairline, drawing blood, while another bit Lily's shoulder.

Then Voldemort went on the offensive. The Dark Lord's reprisal sent Bones tumbling down the tunnel and slammed Potter against a nearby wall.

Snape winced as he heard the sound of ribs cracking.

"Blood traitor," Voldemort hissed. "I'll crush you…"

He didn't have time to finish the sentence. Snape had already reclaimed his wand.

_Sectumsempra!_

A long cut erupted on the back of Voldemort's head. He released Potter and turned back to face Snape. As he turned, Snape could see the wound knitting itself closed.

"Impressive," the Dark Lord said with a sickening smile. "You can wound even Lord Voldemort."

Snape realized his error then. He should have Petrified Voldemort instead of using an attack that had done just enough damage to piss the Dark Lord off.

_Oh bugger._

"But you can't kill him!" Voldemort half-shouted as Snape scrambled away, dragging his shattered leg behind him. The Dark Lord pointed his wand at Snape.

"Avada Kedavra!"

Snape saw the jet of green light racing towards him and closed his eyes, unwilling to look.

"Depulso!"

A chunk of flying rock intercepted the curse mere inches from Snape's chest.

"There's only one of him and several of us," Frank Longbottom called out as he emerged from one of the tunnels. "All at once now!"

The twilight-dark chamber erupted with colors as several Order members launched a wave of curses at the Dark Lord. The Dark Lord screamed and swept his arm in front of him, sending the bursts of light bouncing all over the place. Several of the Order members were able to Shield themselves, sending the curse bouncing away, but Snape saw Longbottom stagger back with a Sectumsempra-gash in his leg and Lily double over, hit in the gut by some kind of concussion spell. More rock chips flew through the air and Snape felt one embed itself in his back.

Voldemort laughed, casting a stream of Killing Curses. The Dark Lord's enemies managed to dodge all of them — even Snape managed to get out of the way, although he felt further tearing in his leg — but Voldemort then launched other curses to catch his foes in midair.

One curse caught Potter in the chest and sent him flying down another tunnel, while Longbottom barely managed to Shield himself against another. The Auror retaliated with a Killing Curse, but Voldemort dodged that, then quickly parried an attack from the returning Bones.

The Dark Lord stabbed with his wand and the chamber floor turned to liquid under Longbottom. The Auror sank up to his knees and the stone solidified around him.

Voldemort smiled and cast the Killing Curse.

Longbottom jabbed his wand straight downward and fired a curse straight into the stone trapping his legs. The resulting explosion sent him flying out of the way, straight into a nearby wall.

The Auror slumped to the ground, unconscious, and the Dark Lord laughed.

"Is this the pride of the Order of the Phoenix?" he growled as he forced Bones back with a blast of fire. "Have you come all this way just to die?"

Snape took note of the battle situation. He, Lily, Shacklebolt, and Bones were still fighting, but most of them were wounded to some degree and the Dark Lord had not a scratch on him. He didn't even look tired.

Despair crept out of Snape's subconscious.

_Is it even possible to kill this man?_

Then, as everything seemed darkest, hope arrived.

"Still bullying those weaker than yourself, I see," Albus Dumbledore said. "You haven't changed much, Tom."

Snape saw the Dark Lord stiffen at the use of the name "Tom."

_Is that his real name?_

He figured Voldemort was a code name or something that the Dark Lord had come up with — what parent, no matter how deranged, would name their son that?

"Dumbledore," Voldemort said.

Then Voldemort moved, quicker than Snape had seen him move earlier.

"Avada Kedavra!"

The jet of green light flew straight at Dumbledore, who neatly stepped aside. His riposte was a river of fire that poured from his wand across the chamber towards the Dark Lord. The Dark Lord gestured with his wand, then Apparated out of the way.

He materialized behind Dumbledore, who vanished in turn before Voldemort could cast the Killing Curse.

_Looks like the Anti-Disapparition Wards have been removed._

The two master wizards Apparated around the chamber, casting curses whenever they were both present at the same time. Around them, combat broke out once again as several Death Eaters spilled into the chamber behind their Lord.

Snape saw Potter — apparently nothing could keep that man down — dueling with two Death Eaters. He sent one flying with a well-placed Blasting Curse, but one of the Death Eaters was moving to attack. He was making the wand movements for the Killing Curse…

_One good turn deserves another. Sectumsempra!_

Snape cut across the back of both of the Death Eater's legs, hamstringing him. The Death Eater crumpled to the ground, his curse going wild and killing another Death Eater instead of Potter.

"Good one, Snape," Potter said, Petrifying his fallen opponent.

Snape nodded. Potter suddenly stabbed towards Snape with his wand.

_What the hell?_

The silvery blast passed over Snape's head. He turned to see the magic sending a Death Eater sprawling.

"Hey," Potter said. "One good turn deserves another."

_Now is not the time for witty remarks, Potter!_

Before Snape could put his thoughts into words, Potter had already disappeared into the melee.

A burst of frenzied activity erupted from a nearby tunnel and several more Death Eaters rushed into the room, fleeing before an enraged Shacklebolt. As soon as they spotted their master, they wheeled on the Auror and tried to swarm him. Shackebolt's attacks sent them flying, but there were so many of them.

_Putesco! __Os intorqueo__! Sectumsempra!_

Two of the three curses struck home. One Death Eater hit the ground, body twisting like clay in the hands of a hallucinating god, while another screamed as his guts spilled onto the floor.

The first spell, however, hit Shacklebolt.

_Oh shit! Friendly fire!_

"Good move, Snape," Shacklebolt growled. Snape could see sores opening on his cheeks and the whites of his eyes yellowing. The Auror grit his teeth and gestured towards himself with his wand.

Then one of the Death Eaters rushed at him.

_If he doesn't reverse the spell quickly, his body will decay to the point he can't wield a wand. Can't let the battle be lost on the account I accidentally crippled an Auror._

Snape cast the appropriate countercurse and saw his magic taking effect just before the Death Eater crashed into the Auror. Both of them went down.

_I hope there was enough time. If his body is already rotting, having a Death Eater land on top of him could kill him._

Shacklebolt hit the ground and used his momentum to flip the Death Eater off him. He was back on his feet in seconds and hit the Death Eater with the Killing Curse before the other man could hit the ground.

_Good._

"I'll get you," a female voice wheezed.

_That's one of the Carrows, the woman._

The short, stocky woman advanced. Snape moved to slash her with his wand.

Alecto Carrow stabbed with her own wand and Snape's leaped away.

_Accio wand!_

Snape recalled the wand back to his hand, but Alecto blasted it away before it could reach his hand. With his leg in ruins, Snape could not easily scramble to retrieve it.

"You're mine, half-breed blood traitor," she sneered.

"No he isn't," Lily declared. "He's mine."

Alecto laughed. "Not for long he isn't, Mudblood cow."

Lily stabbed with her wand and her spell slammed into the side of Alecto's head. The attack sent the evil woman flying and when she landed, her head rolled at an extremely unnatural angle.

_Good shot, Lily. You broke the harridan's neck._

Snape saw Lily's eyes widen as she took in her handiwork.

_Now is not the time to feel guilty. You did what was necessary._

The surviving Death Eaters scrambled back behind Voldemort.

"Fly, Death Eaters!" Voldemort ordered. "Your Lord will crush his enemies with the very Earth!"

The Dark Lord gestured with his wand and the walls and ceiling began to warp and twist. Chunks of stone fell like fists as the remaining Death Eaters fled the chamber.

One piece toppled towards Snape, a great black mass that would crush him as easily as he might step on a cockroach.

_Is this the…_

Then a fireball bloomed overhead, the flames devouring the black rock. Snape's eyes followed the resulting spray of molten stone as it hurtled towards the Dark Lord.

Voldemort raised a hand and the lava parted around him.

"Old fool!" he called. "Surely you can do better than that!"

Dumbledore strode forward, deflecting chunks of falling rock as easily as one might swat an annoying fly.

"That I can, Tom."

He stabbed with his wand, momentarily transfixing his opponent.

_What's he doing?_

The Dark Lord recovered quickly.

"No you don't, Dumbledore!" the Dark Lord half-screamed. "Avada Kedavra!"

Dumbledore stepped aside, avoiding Voldemort's curse. He slashed with his wand, a whip of flames emerging to encircle his foe. As the fiery loops closed around Voldemort, the Dark Lord disappeared from sight.

A long moment passed and the Dark Lord did not reappear.

"It seems Lord Voldemort has fled," Dumbledore said. He turned in a circle with his wand out. "As have his followers."

"We've won," Lily said, sounding rather dazed.

"Perhaps," Dumbledore said. "Let's not linger and risk some of our wounded dying from lack of attention."

Lily got Snape's right arm around her shoulder and pulled him to his feet. He repressed a moan as pain erupted along the length of his broken leg.

"We can probably do a field setting of the leg," she said. "And feed you some Skele-Gro to heal it."

_An experience I _certainly_ look forward to_.

May 16th, 1979

6:15 PM

Snape watched as the few hale members of the Order of the Phoenix and agents of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement laid out the corpses of those who had died fighting for the side of Light.

_Marlene, Fletcher, Benjy, and that's just those I can recognize_, Snape noted. There were four more corpses laid out beside the three Snape knew.

Nearby, the Death Eaters had been piled up in a less respectful manner. The forces of darkness had lost at least twenty dead, many of those at Snape's own hand.

_Not like I didn't pay a price._

A kindly Mediwitch had set his leg — broken in five places, with one break almost forcing its way through the skin — and given him a fairly large bottle of Skele-Gro to drink. Snape had managed to force himself to drink half of the bottle and resolved to drink the rest soon, once the foul taste had faded from his mouth.

Instead, he watched as law-enforcement personnel collected gathered enemy prisoners together, Apparating them away. They'd even brought in a Dementor to keep them under control, since there were so many of them.

_Ugh_, he thought, watching the gray-clad foul thing floating near one Death Eater, who bore the signs of the Bone Distortion Curse. The creature caressed the man with its long fingers as he moaned through warped, elongated teeth that touched his chin and eyes and batted feebly at the ethereal horror with a spiky, distorted hand.

Lily made her way over to him.

"Everything all right?" she asked.

"Pretty much," he said. "I think we won today."

Lily nodded, a sad look on her face.

"We paid for it, though."

Snape's eyes drifted back to the line of Order dead. He crossed himself and said the appropriate prayers.

_We certainly did._


	63. Death and Updates

Death and Updates

**Death and Updates**

By Matthew W. Quinn

**Author's Note: **Kudos to excessivelyperky for her thoughts on Snape and food.

May 20th, 1979

3:30 PM

Marlene McKinnon's memorial service took place in a churchyard in her home city of Norwich on a sunny afternoon.

Severus Snape watched as Marlene's father, brothers, and boyfriend — all agents of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement — carried her coffin to the grave.

"Marlene Sarah McKinnon gave her life so that others may live," the department chaplain intoned. "It is written, 'No greater love hath any man that he lay down his life for his friends.' Marlene laid down her life not only for her friends, but for strangers and generations yet to come."

_That she did_, he thought. _So did Benjy Fenwick and even Mundungus Fletcher, dirty criminal he was._

Beside him, his wife Lily Evans Snape wept. Snape slipped an arm around her and she pressed close to him, crying on his shoulder.

_This battle may well have broken the Death Eaters' backs, even if the Dark Lord escaped. Furthermore, the bounty on Dolohov alone was enough for us not to have to worry about money for months and he wasn't the only one we killed._

Between his defeat of Antonin Dolohov and the killing of several lesser Death Eaters with Sectumsempra and Fiendfyre and her killing of the man who killed Marlene and Alecto Carrow, they had earned between them over 6,000 galleons.

_That's over two years' income right there. We had some money saved, so we might not need to worry about money for years to come._

Such a thought would have brought a smile to his face, but now was not the time. Lily stood beside him, her tears soaking his robes, and even the thought of not being poor, of being a better provider than his hated father, couldn't warm Snape's heart.

The chaplain finished his speech. He gestured and Marlene's coffin rose into the air and settled into the grave. Another gesture and the grave filled in and grass sprouted over it.

Like at Sirius Black's funeral a few months before, the pallbearers wept at the sight of the final interment. Lily's weeping intensified — his robes were getting awfully damp — and he stroked her, hoping to make her feel better.

May 20th, 1979

4:30 PM

Afterward, they had a reception at Marlene's parents' house.

"You know," John Anderson said. "It sucks that Marlene died, but this food is really good."

_True_, Snape thought as he nibbled on the blueberry scone. _Perhaps I ought to get the recipe._

Putting Snape's longsuffering nightshirt out of its misery was only the first "improvement" Lily had made. The cupboard at Spinner's End now hosted a much greater variety of food than Snape's typical Spartan fare and Lily was always on the lookout for new and interesting things for them to eat.

_Perhaps this'll take her mind off the current situation._

His dark eyes drifted over to where she was standing. She was talking with one of her friends who Snape did not know, but without her usual degree of animation.

"How's the leg by the way?" Anderson asked, pulling Snape's attention back to him.

"Better," Snape replied.

He still favored his right leg — the Skele-Gro repaired the shattered bone in his left but damage done by the edges of the broken bone took time to deal. The knuckles in his left hand were still tender as well.

"How's your shoulder?"

Anderson had been with the assault party under John Dawlish. They'd met less resistance than Snape's group had, but a chunk of flying stone had done a number on Anderson's right shoulder and ribs.

"It's fine. They fixed all the broken bones and there wasn't a lot of surrounding damage."

Snape nodded.

Lily abruptly disengaged from her friend and made a beeline for Snape and Anderson.

"That's Marlene's boyfriend, over there," Lily said, gesturing towards a dark-haired young man who stood by himself. "Come on."

_Help me_, Snape thought, looking imploringly at Anderson.

Anderson shook his head.

Snape repressed a sigh and dutifully followed Lily over to Arnold Trigg, Marlene's boyfriend. Lily and Trigg briefly spoke. The two then hugged and then Snape found himself face to face with the man.

_Umm, what do I say?_

He had little experience comforting strangers about their dead.

"Umm…my condolences," he said, reciting what he recalled from Mum teaching him how to properly write letters of condolence. He nearly said "for your recent loss" but figured that would be damningly impersonal.

Trigg apparently did not notice Snape's near-slip-up.

"Thanks," he said.

He reached out and shook Snape's hand a bit too firmly for Snape's taste.

"Who do I ask about joining the Order of the Phoenix?"

Snape repressed a smile.

_He wants revenge. This could be useful._

"I think you'd want to talk to Albus Dumbledore."

Trigg nodded.

"Thanks."

Trigg walked off, apparently searching for Dumbledore. Snape turned to head back to Anderson, then spotted James Potter and Mary Macdonald disappearing into a nearby room.

_I wonder what they're up to? I suspect they wouldn't slip off for a snog at the post-funeral reception of an Order member._

Then he remembered that he'd resolved to propose to Lily after Black died.

_It appears great minds think alike._

He stopped short for a moment.

_Did I just compliment_ Potter?

Snape leaned forward, just enough to get a glimpse of what was going on around the corner but not enough to be noticeable. He saw Potter going down on one knee.

_Just what I thought._

He allowed himself a small smile.

_I guess this means Potter has no further designs on Lily._

He figured Potter had given up on that front when, during their school days, he had abandoned his attempts to make Lily jealous by snogging any girl he could get his hands on and settled down with Mary. That being said, so long as Potter was not wed, the niggling fear sometimes returned.

He detoured over to where Lily was helping herself to some pumpkin juice.

"I think something very interesting is going on," he said.

He gestured to the room where Potter and Mary had disappeared. Lily looked over and Snape saw them stepping back into the sitting room.

Lily's eyes lit up and she made a beeline for her friend.

_Here it comes…_

Just as Snape expected, as soon as Lily spotted the ring on Mary's finger, the squealing started.

Snape gritted his teeth. Much as he wanted Lily to be happy for her friend, the whole girl-squealing thing really got on his nerves.

_Of course, it's an improvement on a bloody funeral. Maybe this'll snap Lily out of her funk._

May 20th, 1979

5:30 PM

After the reception, the Order of the Phoenix gathered.

"All right," Albus Dumbledore began. "We have taken grievous losses, but we have prevailed. Voldemort will not recover easily from this battle."

_Most definitely. _

The number killed and captured — particularly heavy hitters like Dolohov — would hurt the Dark Lord for awhile.

"Furthermore," the elderly wizard continued, "I was able to make an important discovery during the battle."

"What sort of discovery?" Anderson asked.

"During the battle," Dumbledore said. "I was briefly able to gain access to the Dark Lord's mind."

Snape raised an eyebrow.

_If he can get into Voldemort's head, he'd be able to find out lots of useful things._

Dumbledore was quiet for a moment before he spoke.

"I know some of you are Legilimens or interested in becoming one. Should you take this path, I do not recommend attempting to enter Voldemort's mind. It's a dark place, full of hatred and rage and a desperate desire to degrade and destroy the half of himself that he hates. There is not one iota of love or compassion there."

Dumbledore paused again.

"That being said, I was able to discern the identity of some of his Horcruxes and the location of two of them. Elphias and I were able to retrieve and destroy one of them. The other has been moved, but we are tracking its location."

_Excellent. A few more steps closer to killing the bastard._

He wasn't sure if using Horcruxes meant the Dark Lord's physical body could not be destroyed or, if his body were destroyed, his soul would remain anchored to the Earth. His reading had suggested the latter, but he remembered seeing the Dark Lord's flesh knit back together after he'd slashed him with Sectumsempra.

_The sooner we find these, the better._

"Furthermore," the elderly wizard continued. "Apparently the Dark Lord no longer seems invincible. We've had several defections lately, people who took the Mark out of fear and now fear us more than they do Voldemort."

"What is the Ministry doing with them?" Potter asked.

"Some of them we've taken into protective custody, to debrief them. Others have been sent back, under Unbreakable Vows, to faithfully report on the Dark Lord's plans."

Snape saw Peter Pettigrew stiffen at the words "Unbreakable Vow" and allowed himself a small smile.

_That's what's kept our turned spy turned. Spying on Voldemort means the possibility of death, but breaking trust with Dumbledore means certain death._

Snape frowned.

_We're not under Unbreakable Vows not to tell anyone anything. If one of us were to be captured and interrogated, the Dark Lord could find out his organization is compromised._

"Sir," he asked. "Why are you telling us this? If the Dark Lord manages to catch and interrogate anyone here…"

"Then he'd start purging his organization and potentially kill many faithful Death Eaters along with the spies. There was a Muggle dictator by the name of Josef Stalin who all but ruined his country's military that way."

_Stalin's purges. This makes sense._

He had to admire Dumbledore's cold-blooded appraisal of the situation.

_You'd have made a good Slytherin, old man._

May 20th, 1979

9:30 PM

_Looks like Lily's still in a funk_, Snape noted as they sat in Snape's parents' bed at Spinner's End.

It was true that one of her friends had died in front of her four days before and her funeral had been earlier that day, but Lily generally bounced back from problems.

_She's not like me. She doesn't dwell on things endlessly._

Snape leaned over and rested a hand on her shoulder.

"You okay?"

She shook her head.

"Not really, Sev."

She sighed.

"Marlene was a close friend, and that's not the only thing bothering me. I know I knocked Death Eaters off their brooms the night Sirius and Ian died and I'm pretty sure not all of them survived. But that night in the mine was the first time I've seen what I can do up close."

She sighed.

"Twice. And the first time, I used Dark Magic to do it."

"You know, it doesn't bother me that you used Dark Magic," he replied. "The fact that you used my spell is actually quite flattering."

That brought a small smile to Lily's sad face.

"Thanks. But still, it's magic intended solely for killing and destruction, and I've never been comfortable with that."

She sighed.

"I know we're at war and Sectumsempra has been extremely useful, but…"

She sighed again and lay back on her pillow.

_Hmm…how to make her happy again?_

"You know," he said, fingers creeping over Lily's middle, "I think I know a way to make you feel better…"

She smiled sadly at Snape.

"Not tonight."

_Darn it._

Snape thought for a moment.

_Between her friend's death and funeral and her own bad feelings about having killed, she might not be chipper for awhile. Making love wouldn't necessarily make these feelings go away._

Snape shrugged.

"Cool."

He thought for a moment.

"I've got an idea. How about, if you can get out of work early, we go wandering around the park tomorrow?"

Lily smiled and Snape felt his heart warming.

"I think that's a good idea," she said. "It's hard to be morose when you're outside and it's sunny."

_Excellent._

Lily yawned and, with a wave of her wand, put out her bedside lamp.

"Good night, Sev."

Snape leaned over and kissed her on the forehead.

"Good night, Lily."

She closed her eyes and fell asleep within a few seconds. After a moment, Snape decided it might be best to join her. He extinguished his lamp, lay down, and found himself unable to sleep.

He kept thinking about some of the things discussed at the Order of the Phoenix meeting that day.

_The desperate desire to destroy the half of himself that he hates. I wonder what that means?_

The Dark Lord hated Muggles, hated Muggle-borns…

_It might be that he's Half-Blood, like me. Given he's got a bunch of Pureblood snobs slaving away for him, that might not be something he'd want getting out._

A dark smile sprawled across his face.

_This could be useful indeed._


	64. Day Off

Day Off

**Day Off**

By Matthew W. Quinn

**Author's Note: **Credit for the chapter concept and specific ideas inside belongs to Rose of the West and Sindie.

May 25th, 1979 AD

9:30 AM

Lily's employer kept her busy for several days after Marlene McKinnon's funeral but she _was_ able to take a Friday off and have a long weekend.

So Severus Snape and Lily Evans Snape set off for Bristol.

_Hopefully this will take her mind off what's been going on_, Snape thought as they made their way along the busy Haymarket into downtown Bristol.

He knew it was unrealistic to expect Lily to get over Marlene's death so quickly. However, getting over her use of Dark Magic to kill might be an easier matter.

"You know," Lily said. "I didn't really want to come out here, at first…"

_Uh oh._

"But this is a really interesting place. Did you know they built the Concorde jets north of here?"

_That sounds familiar._

Snape knew more about Muggle technology than most wizards but he wasn't aware of this 'Concorde' besides the name and the vague knowledge it was something very prestigious.

"No. What's that?"

"It's an aircraft that can fly from Britain to the United States in an hour and half."

Snape raised an eyebrow.

_Impressive._

There were trans-Atlantic floo lines and of course, one could Apparate across the ocean, but the number of these floo lines was rare and one had to be careful Apparating lest one land in the water instead of a convenient stopover point like Iceland.

_Flying that plane would probably cost an arm and a leg, even with the favorable exchange rate between our currencies._

Snape stopped for a moment and pulled out the Muggle guidebook they'd picked up as soon as they arrived.

_Okay, let's see. There's a zoo here, down in Clifton. Perhaps Lily would find the monkeys amusing._

"Want to go to the zoo?"

Lily smiled.

"That would be wonderful."

So they walked to the zoo, not Apparating due the unfamiliarity of the city. Lily enjoyed the lion enclosure — _no surprise there_ — and Snape enjoyed the aquarium. They had the fortune to arrive at the time for the piranha feeding and Snape marveled at the speed and efficiency of the nasty little fish.

After they finished at the zoo, they took lunch at the Wyvern and Knight, a wizarding pub hidden in an alleyway behind a touristy knick-knack shop where their lunch was brought to them by a house-elf.

"Having a good day?" Snape asked as Lily she dug into her bangers and mash.

Lily nodded.

"Very good," she said around a mouthful of the sausage.

Snape allowed himself a small smile.

_Everything is unfolding according to plan. Excellent._

After she'd finished her bangers and mash and he his eel pie, they hung around the porch outside for a bit, waiting for their food to settle, and then Apparated to Exmoor National Park.

Upon arrival, they picked a trail to walk and eventually crossed over the Tarr Steps. As the two of them picked their way across the irregular surface of the prehistoric bridge, Snape saw Lily smiling.

_Perhaps I've managed to snap Lily out of her funk._

Once they'd crossed the bridge, Lily made her way over to the terrace in front of the gray house that sat on the other side.

"Let's rest for a bit," she said.

She sat down and Snape sat next to her. A moment passed and Lily's expression fell a bit.

_Uh oh._

"Lily," Snape said. "Are you still feeling poorly?"

Lily sighed.

"Whenever I'm doing something, like tinkering with some Charm at work or talking with you or Mary or anything at all, I'm fine. But whenever I've got time to think, I…"

Her voice trailed off. Snape slid an arm around her and she leaned close.

_At least she's not pushing me away this time. Things might be getting better._

"Careful, Lily," he said. "You're starting to sound like me."

Lily raised an eyebrow.

"Oh?"

"Well," Snape said. "I'm usually the one who dwells on things, often to the point it gets kind of unhealthy. You bounce back from everything and nothing ever bothers you."

He smiled.

"That's what makes you so lovable. You're always so happy."

She smiled.

"Thanks, Sev."

Then she fell silent again.

_Damn it. This isn't working._

"Lily," Snape began. "I've never had anyone close to me die like you have, but I do understand how you're feeling about what you did after Marlene died. The first time I used Sectumsempra — really used it, not just testing it on chunks of meat I'd swiped from the school kitchens — was the day the Death Eaters came to Spinner's End."

Lily nodded.

"I used Dark Magic then, I used it to kill. And that wasn't the last time. I've killed and crippled many Death Eaters, far more than you have, and you don't think I'm evil, do you?"

Lily shook her head.

"No, Sev, I don't."

"It's the same situation here. You are good, Lily, even if you did kill two terrorists when the alternative was you or someone else being killed. If you were evil, I doubt you'd have seen the good in me…"

That reminded him of Lucius Malfoy, Justin Avery, and Michael Mulciber, who'd seen something in the young, insecure Half-Blood they'd liked. However, their ideas of 'good' were radically different than Lily's and he did not wish to undermine his own argument.

"And you would definitely not be feeling guilty about what you did to those Death Eaters. Voldemort and his elite, they can kill and torture without a care in the world, and that's what makes them evil, isn't it?"

Lily nodded.

"I suppose you're right, Sev. Thing is, I recognize all those things intellectually, but it hasn't really had time to sink in, you know."

She sighed.

"Maybe that's what's needed, Sev. Time."

Snape nodded.

"Yes. Keeping yourself busy would certainly help."

One possibility of something they could do to keep busy crossed his mind. Disappear a few hundred yards into the forest, set wards to keep potential voyeurs away…

Snape quashed that notion.

_That didn't help last time and it probably won't help this time._

"Look at it this way. You're a Gryffindor, part of the House that values chivalry, right?"

"Yes."

"Well, no knight would go into battle without a sword, wouldn't he?"

Lily nodded.

"Think of Sectumsempra or those curses from the Durmstrang books as simply another kind of sword. They're distasteful, yes, but so is any kind of killing."

He thought to the talks he'd had with the Squib priest, before he and Lily married.

_Harrell said a married couple is a whole greater than the sum of its parts. Neither of us will be quite the same afterward._

He allowed himself a small smile.

"You helped me be brave, Lily, to stand up to the people in my House who'd make Slytherin into a training ground for murderers. Perhaps I can help you be cunning and crafty, help you do what's necessary."

Lily raised an eyebrow.

"Praise for Gryffindor? From you?"

His old prejudices rebelled, but he forced them back down.

"Yes, from me."

Lily laid a hand on his. "Sev, I didn't make you brave. I may have helped you find the bravery inside you, but it was always there."

Snape smiled. "If there's a repressed Gryffindor inside me, perhaps there's a repressed Slytherin inside you."

Lily smiled.

"Perhaps."


	65. Confessing Old Sins

Confessing Old Sins

**Confessing Old Sins**

By Matthew W. Quinn

May 28th, 1979 AD

5:30 PM

"You'd like me to teach you Dark Magic?" Severus Snape asked.

He sat at a table at the Order of the Phoenix headquarters, waiting for Albus Dumbledore to arrive and start the meeting. He found himself faced, much like his former mentor Lucius Malfoy had been long ago, with an intense, dark-haired young man who craved the power the Dark Arts could give him.

Arnold Trigg nodded.

"Yeah. I heard about what you did down there in the mine, the night…"

He swallowed and blinked more rapidly than normal.

"The night the bastards killed Marlene. They say you killed several Death Eaters with the cutting spell of yours and Fiendfyre and even injured You-Know-Who himself."

He leaned forward, eyes hard and angry.

"I want that kind of power. I want to make the sons of bitches _hurt_."

_The Half-Blood Prince already has a princess. Perhaps some nobles would be nice?_

On one hand, letting Sarah Jewell copy Sectumsempra from his book — and then not objecting when she taught her brother and John Anderson — was beneficial to the Order as a whole.

On the other hand, he could see just how angry Trigg was and wondered if teaching him even _some_ Dark Magic was prudent.

_I can be very dangerous when crossed. I can trust myself not to go_ too _far, but what about him?_

Snape thought for a moment.

_On the other hand, he is an officer in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. He could be an exceedingly useful contact._

He thought back to his plan — put on the back burner for a moment due to the massive haul of cash that he'd brought in for taking down Antonin Dolohov — to hunt Death Eaters independently of the Order.

_I've got a couple of informants in Diagon Alley. An informant in law enforcement, however, could be even better._

The door swung open and Snape heard James Potter and Mary Macdonald come in.

Trigg scowled.

"Damn them," he half-growled. "Damn them both."

_He's still upset about what happened at the reception._

Snape felt a slight flicker of guilt.

_It's true that it was immensely stupid of Potter to propose to Mary at a time intended to honor Marlene's passing. However, did I really need to let Lily know right then? Mary is her friend, but that was a really inappropriate time for a girly squeal-fest._

"I can understand why he'd propose to Mary — they could have all died that night — but the bloody timing of it! Couldn't have a just waited a bloody hour or two? The other day was about Marlene, not them."

_Good Hufflepuff, that one. Loyal to his girlfriend's memory._

Potter twirled Mary about in the foyer before they found a comfortable spot together on one of the sofas. Trigg's scowl deepened.

_Good thing Lily isn't here or Trigg might have some choice things to say about how the squealing festival began _after_ Lily had gone to see Mary._

Lily was feeling poorly — this time, it had more to do with her stomach than her mind — and decided to stay home.

_Hopefully this is just some bad fish and not something else._

He and Lily had taken precautions to delay having children, but when they had gone shopping to replace some clothes ruined in the battle in the mine, he had noticed her spending an inordinate amount of time looking at fellow shoppers' babies.

The front door swung open and Albus Dumbledore entered, flanked by Frank Longbottom and Elphias Doge.

"The meeting's about to start," Snape told Trigg. "We'll finish this discussion afterward."

Trigg nodded and stepped off to find a seat. Snape found a seat of his own and waited for Dumbledore to begin the meeting.

"All right," Dumbledore said. "The Department of Magical Law Enforcement and the Aurors have taken advantage of the recent losses the Death Eaters have sustained to crack down on Death Eater and allied activity. Law Enforcement has collared — pardon my pun — a pair of agents working for Fenrir Greyback in the werewolf housing in London. Dolores Umbridge believes them to be saboteurs or assassins, but based on preliminary interrogation, it appears they are propagandists."

_Council estates loaded with werewolves. Wouldn't want to be in charge of one of those during a full moon._

No wonder the Ministry picked Umbridge — a Hufflepuff accompanied by as many dark rumors as some Slytherin — to run the place. She'd keep them in line.

"Now," Dumbledore said. "We have also managed to catch some spies in the Ministry itself…"

Then Remus Lupin and an Order member Snape did not recognize burst into the headquarters. Between them, they carried a bloodied, burned Peter Pettigrew.

"Death Eaters!" Lupin called out. "They nearly killed Peter!"

Snape raised an eyebrow.

_The Death Eaters are after Pettigrew?_

He allowed himself a small smile.

_Perhaps they've caught their rat too._

Lupin and his friend laid Pettigrew on the floor. The treacherous Gryffindor was covered in blood and burns and it looked like someone had taken a hammer to him.

"We were on our way to the meeting and three of them came after us," Lupin continued. "We drove them away, but they wounded Peter."

Longbottom knelt beside him. He waved his wand over Pettigrew's body, healing his wounds.

"I'll take him to the Ministry," Longbottom said. He pulled Pettigrew to his feet and Apparated away.

Snape could detect muttering among the Order members.

_They're wondering why he's going to the Ministry and not St. Mungo's._

"All right," Dumbledore said. "Let that remind us that even though the Death Eaters are down, they're not out. As I was saying, we have arrested some Ministry employees who have been relaying information to the Dark Lord. The loss of sources of inside information should hurt Voldemort considerably."

CRACK!

Longbottom materialized in the room where he'd been standing a few minutes before.

"The Dark Lord figured out we'd turned Pettigrew," he said. "They decided to take some revenge."

Muttering broke out throughout the room at the use of the word "turned."

_Uh oh. I wonder how they're doing to explain this._

"Frank, this is not the time," Dumbledore chided.

"They'd find out soon enough. He's been put in Azkaban."

The muttering grew to a dull roar. Dumbledore raised his hands for silence.

"There is reason for this, I assure you."

"What kind of reason?" the Order member who came in with Pettigrew and Lupin challenged. "He's an Order member, just like all of us."

"An Order member who betrayed his friends to the Dark Lord," Dumbledore retorted.

Silence fell like a hammer.

"In November of last year, Peter Pettigrew agreed to serve as a spy for Lord Voldemort," Dumbledore continued. "As a result of his treachery, Sam Cromwell, Gideon Prewett, Amanda Green, and possibly others were killed. An intelligence failure of the most serious degree was narrowly averted by Severus Snape, who caught Pettigrew in the act."

Eyes fell on Snape and he began to redden.

"Luckily, Lord Voldemort did not know that we knew and we were able to put Mr. Pettigrew to better use. Thanks to misinformation he provided to the Death Eaters, we were able to decisively defeat the Death Eaters in Bristol and in the recent battle in the old mine."

Dumbledore paused.

"Mr. Pettigrew will be placed in Azkaban prison for the remainder of the conflict. After the war ends, we will decide what is to be done with him."

Muttering broke out among the Order membership. Snape noticed Potter was unusually quiet.

_Hmm…I wonder what he's up to._

Potter and Mary began whispering to each other.

_A romantic interlude, at a time like this? Potter, I am very disappointed in you._

Then Potter rose to his feet.

"I think there's something you should know, sir, something about Peter."

"What might this be, Mr. Potter?"

"Peter is an Animagus. He, Padfoot, and I all became Animagi, to be…"

His voice trailed off. Snape repressed his desire to bury his head in his hands.

_Potter! Being an unregistered Animagus is a bloody crime! And you're confessing it all here?_

If _he_ were an Animagus and he were unregistered, he'd be damn sure to stay that way. That way, he'd have an advantage nobody else knew about.

_At least he knows not to give Lupin away. Some people around here know Lupin's a werewolf, but not all of them._

Longbottom leaned forward, but it was Dumbledore who spoke first.

"An Animagus, at your age? We suspected Voldemort had taught Peter, to help him better spy, but we had no idea you had managed it as well."

Potter's eyes widened.

_I guess he realizes now he didn't need to confess._

"No sir. Sirius and I were the ones who became Animagi first. Peter had problems, so we helped him out."

"An unregistered Animagus," Longbottom said gruffly. "Highly illegal."

"Yes," Dumbledore said. "Yes it is. Mr. Potter, you must register immediately."

Longbottom raised an eyebrow.

"And?"

Dumbledore nodded. "True, Frank. What is the penalty?"

"Either a term of imprisonment or a substantial fine, depending on the circumstances."

_Something tells me Potter is going to try to buy his way out of this one. If it were me on the spot, I'd be snogging a Dementor for awhile._

"Mr. Potter, please stay after the meeting. We will discuss this then."

Dumbledore then addressed the rest of the Order.

"Now, assuming no more interruptions, I will finish what I was saying. I suspect Voldemort and Greyback are going to try to make further inroads into the werewolf community, to turn them against the Ministry. We should be especially alert for that."

Dumbledore and Lupin's eyes briefly met. Snape nodded approvingly.

_Using Lupin to keep tabs on Death Eater infiltration of the werewolf community. That might be wise, although he might be too well-known as an Order member._

After Dumbledore finished speaking, the meeting began breaking up. Snape rose to his feet and saw an Order member he did not recognize approach Lupin.

"I'm sorry," the man said. "I thought you were the spy. It's because…"

Lupin nodded. "I understand," he said. "No worries."

_How desperate he is for others to like him. He probably won't even complain to Dumbledore about how the others were allowed to think him a spy, even if that _was_ necessary. I would not be so forgiving._

Snape noticed Trigg approaching, obviously eager to discuss more Dark Magic.

"There's something I need to talk to Dumbledore about," Snape told him. "If you wait here, I can Apparate back home and get you the book when I'm done."

Trigg nodded.

Snape turned away and approached Dumbledore, who was conferring with Longbottom. As soon as he got within five feet of the old man, Dumbledore turned to face him.

_How did he do that?_

"Sir," Snape said. "I've got an idea for the war."

The old man raised an eyebrow.

"Do tell, Severus."

_Not 'Mr. Snape' anymore? Hmm…._

"Earlier, you described how the Dark Lord wants to destroy the half of himself that he hates. Does that mean he's really Half-Blood?"

Dumbledore's eyes widened.

"Very astute, Severus."

Snape lowered his voice.

"I think perhaps this should be made well-known."

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow.

"I like the way you think, Severus. Unfortunately, I have matters to discuss with Frank and Mr. Potter and must return to Hogwarts soon. Perhaps we can discuss this matter on the 30th?"

_Not like I have anything else going on._

"Yes sir. Yes we can."

May 27th, 1979 AD

6:15 PM

Snape materialized just inside the front door of Spinner's End.

_Okay. Where did I put that book?_

He and Lily kept their books on a shelf in the upstairs hallway, between his old room and the room he still thought of as his parents' bedroom even though they hadn't slept in it for nearly two years. Lily's books were on the bottom shelf, while Snape's books — including his Dark Arts books — were on the top.

_Lily's concerned about future little people getting their hands on books full of dangerous magic. Getting into the habit of keeping them out of reach is a prudent step._

He heard something rustling in the kitchen.

_Is Lily making dinner?_

If that were the case, that would be a sign she was feeling better. He offered to make dinner and she'd refused, but he half-expected her to still be queasy when he got home.

He detoured away from the stairs and headed towards the kitchen.

"Feeling better?" he asked.

Lily turned away from whatever she was working on.

"That I am, Sev. How was the meeting?"

"Well…the Death Eaters found out we had Pettigrew working against them and tried to kill him."

If it were anyone else, Lily's hands would have flown to her mouth in dismay. Instead, they rose about halfway to her face and then dropped again.

"What happened?"

"Lupin and some bloke I don't know brought him in, bloodied but alive. Longbottom healed him and took him to the Ministry. They're going to put him in Azkaban until the war's over, at least."

Lily scowled. "Hopefully for the rest of his rotten life."

Snape raised an eyebrow.

_My, she's being awfully fierce. Of course, he _did_ try to kill me._

"And Potter announced he, Pettigrew, and Black were Animagi. I think he didn't know that Dumbledore knew about it."

Lily's hands flew to her mouth now. Snape felt a flicker of resentment but pushed it aside.

"Don't worry. I think they'll let him off with a fine which, given his parents' wealth, I'm sure will not be a problem for him."

Lily nodded. "That's good."

As she talked, Snape noticed a book on the counter nearby. He discreetly rose a little on the balls of his feet to get a glimpse at the title.

_Caring for Your New Cat._

Snape raised an eyebrow.

_A cat? She wants a cat?_

Her wanting a cat would be an improvement over her wanting a child, times being what they were.

"Lily," he began. "Have we somehow accumulated a new cat in my absence?"

Lily's eyes widened slightly.

_She must not have noticed I've noticed._

She shook her head.

"No, we haven't," she said. "But I've been thinking it might be nice to have a cat."

_Hmm…I've never been a pet person. _

He knew the Evanses had a cat once, which had died when Lily was eight, so perhaps they were pet people.

Then he remembered he had something important to do.

_Arnold is waiting. Get that book and get back to the headquarters._

"I need to get back to the headquarters — I needed to come home and get something. I'll be back soon."

"Good. I'll probably have dinner ready by then."

Snape wondered what precisely she was making, but decided to leave it a surprise. He quickly ascended the stairs, retrieved the book, and Apparated away.

May 27th, 1979 AD

6:25 PM

Snape materialized in front of the Order headquarters. Trigg was waiting for him.

"Here's a book with some interesting curses to learn," Snape said. "Study it and return it to me when you're finished."

Trigg nodded. Behind him, Snape could see Potter and Mary leaving the house and Apparating away together.

"One more thing," Snape said, lowering his voice.

"Yes?"

"These curses are for Death Eaters _only_, not other members of the Order of the Phoenix, no matter how aggravating they may be."

His voice hardened.

"Got it?"

Trigg nodded.

"Understood."


	66. The History of the Dark Lord

The History of the Dark Lord

**The History of the Dark Lord**

By Matthew W. Quinn

**Author's Note: **Much of this chapter is adapted from the Pensieve scenes from _Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince_ by J.K. Rowling.

May 30th, 1979

12:15 PM

CRACK!

Severus Snape materialized in front of the Hogwarts gates.

_Right on time._

A moment later, his old Head of House, Horace Slughorn, came to the gates.

"Welcome back, my boy," he said, pumping Snape's hand. "How are you doing today?"

"Just fine, sir. I have an appointment with Dumbledore."

"Why yes — he sent me to get you. Follow me."

May 30th, 1979

12:25 PM

Slughorn escorted Snape into Dumbledore's private office.

"Thank you, Horace," Dumbledore said. "Now if you could leave us…"

Slughorn left the room, leaving Snape alone with his former headmaster.

"Good afternoon, Severus," Dumbledore began.

"Good afternoon to you too, sir."

Dumbledore gestured to a chair and Snape sat down.

"Would you like some candy?" Dumbledore asked, gesturing to some bowls on his desk.

Snape shook his head.

"No thank you, sir."

Dumbledore nodded.

"Very well. Let us begin."

Dumbledore reached under his desk and removed a stone basin.

_A Pensieve. I wonder what he intends to do?_

"You mentioned to me the other day that you had deduced Voldemort's Half-Blood status and you felt this could be an advantage in the war?"

Snape nodded.

"When I was hanging out with Avery, Mulciber, Malfoy, and them, we talked about the Dark Lord, but we all assumed he was Pureblood. After all, he thinks Purebloods should run things again and…"

"Things are not always as they appear, Severus."

Snape nodded.

"I assume by suggesting we make this well-known, you think we should publicize Voldemort's ancestry?"

Snape nodded again.

"The Pureblood zealots might not wish to follow a Half-Blood, while the average man on the street would think Voldemort a hypocrite as well as a monster."

Dumbledore nodded.

"That is true. On the other hand, why should anyone believe what we have to say on the subject? It could be written off as disinformation and, given the Dark Lord's attitude towards his enemies, it could put whoever publishes it in danger."

_True._

"That's why it has to be very good, very detailed," Snape said. "With nothing in it that the enemy can point to as evidence of fraud."

He gestured to the bowl on Dumbledore's desk.

"So detailed it cannot be fraudulent. I assume your Pensieve has something to do with this?"

Dumbledore nodded. He pulled a crystal bottle containing a silvery-white substance from a pocket on his robes.

Snape immediately recognized the substance as memories.

"Whose memories are these?"

"They belong to man named Bob Ogden, an employee of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement."

_Ah. Perhaps Trigg knows him._

"He is in ill health now and feels that certain memories of his should be kept safe. He entrusted them to me."

Dumbledore poured the silvery memories into the bowl and rose to his feet.

"After you, Severus."

Snape rose and immersed his face in the Pensieve. He found himself falling through endless darkness before arriving in a sunny summer scene beneath a high, tangled hedgerow. A moment later, Dumbledore materialized beside him.

In front of them stood a man, a man wearing a frock coat, spats, and a striped bathing suit from an earlier era.

_That must be Bob Ogden, doing an exceedingly poor job of passing as a Muggle._

Snape and Dumbledore followed Ogden down a lane as it curved left and down a hillside. They passed by a splendid view of Little Hangleton —perhaps he and Lily could have a picnic there, sometime, assuming the beautiful view still existed — before the lane turned right. They followed Ogden through a gap in the hedge onto a wild dirt track and towards a dilapidated house.

"Is this where…" Snape began, before Dumbledore shushed him.

They watched as a wild-looking man in rags dropped from the tree and hissed at Ogden.

"He's speaking Parseltongue," Dumbledore explained.

Ogden tried to speak, but the man attacked him, administering a particularly nasty hex. As yellowish slime spurted from Ogden's nose through his fingers, an old man erupted from the house and yelled at the wild-looking man.

"Morfin!"

_That's an odd name, even among wizards._

Snape and Dumbledore watched as the old man talked with Morfin and Ogden, then followed them into the house.

"M'daughter, Merope," the old man said, introducing his quiet, oppressed-looking daughter. For a moment, Snape was reminded of his own mother, although Father had not broken her spirit to the same degree the old man apparently had.

"Merope…?" Snape began.

"Gaunt. Marvolo, Morfin, and Merope Gaunt. The last descendants of Salazar Slytherin."

_Looks like the blood's run thin, those last few generations._

Snape watched as Marvolo Gaunt shouted at his daughter — much like how Father shouted at Mum, when he'd been drinking — and showing off the last heirlooms of Slytherin.

_I wonder why this is relevant? So the descendants of Salazar Slytherin became horribly inbred. I guess this shows the folly of an excess concern for blood purity._

"Why does this matter, sir?"

"You'll see," Dumbledore said enigmatically. "Besides, surely the locket looks familiar."

Snape's eyes leaped over to the locket around Merope Gaunt's neck.

_That's the Horcrux Regulus brought, the one Dumbledore destroyed._

They heard someone draw near to the cottage, as a woman disparaged the place and a man disparaged Morfin Gaunt.

When Morfin mocked Merope, accusing her of watching the Muggle as he rode past, Snape found himself reminded of the days long ago, where he watched Lily and her sister on the playground.

_The only thing I feared was them laughing at me, though. Mum and Father would not have cared._

Then the old man attacked his daughter and a fight broke out. Ogden fled the cottage, colliding with a horse ridden by a handsome young man who laughed at him.

Snape got a good look at the young man's face. He barely restrained his jaw from dropping.

He could see a lot of Voldemort in the man.

"Sir?" Snape asked. "Is that…?"

"Yes, Severus. That is Tom Riddle Senior, the Dark Lord's Muggle father."

Snape immediately made the connection.

"And is Merope Gaunt his mother? I wonder how _that_ happened."

"Merope was a witch. With her father and brother in Azkaban, alone and free for the first time in her life, I suspect Merope's powers blossomed."

"And she somehow used them on Riddle?"

Dumbledore nodded. "The Imperius Curse is a possibility, although I think some kind of love potion is more probable. She was a teenage girl, after all, and with a strong streak of romanticism."

Snape swallowed. He would certainly have never tried either means with Lily.

"Why do you assume she used some supernatural means to enslave him, sir?"

"It strikes me as improbable in the extreme that a man such as Tom Riddle would have stooped to marry the daughter of a local vagrant. Within a few months, the village was horrified by the elopement of the squire's son with the tramp's daughter. Riddle returned to Little Hangleton a few months after that, claiming to have been 'taken in' and 'hoodwinked by Merope. The villagers assumed she made him think she was pregnant with his child, but I think she may have simply stopped administering the love potion, hoping his love would have become genuine or that he would stay for their son."

"And that did not happen."

"No."

"What happened next?"

"Based on evidence provided by Caractacus Burke, Tom and Merope were living in London when he left her. Alone and impoverished, Merope sold her one valuable possession, the locket belonging to Salazar Slytherin, for ten galleons."

_How immensely foolish. Ten galleons, for a relic of the Founders?_

"Merope died soon afterward and her son, Tom Marvolo Riddle, was brought up in a Muggle orphanage. That is where I found him, years later. But those memories belong to someone else."

The two of them soared back into Dumbledore's office. The elderly wizard collected Ogden's memories and returned them to the bottle, then reached into another pocket and poured out another bottle.

"Whose memories are these?" Snape asked.

"Mine," Dumbledore replied. "After you."

Snape found himself on an old-fashioned London street. A tall figure dressed in a purple suit was passing in front of a horse-drawn milk cart.

_Wow. I did not know the old man had such…interesting taste._

Snape watched as Dumbledore met with the Muggle woman, Mrs. Cole, and the two of them drank.

The conversation quickly turned to the young Tom Riddle and how nobody had ever come to collect him.

_Irresponsible bastard. It's your _son_, even if the circumstances of his conception were…less than ideal._

Then Mrs. Cole began describing the boy's personality.

_A bully, but they never caught him at it? Clever. Much cleverer than Potter and his gang, who were notorious for their thuggery._

He repressed the old grudge — _this is not the time nor the place_ — and continued listening. Mrs. Cole then discussed an incident involving a rabbit.

_How in the hell did he manage that?_

He felt a chill running up his spine then. He knew enough Muggle psychology to know that cruelty to animals as a child was a bad sign and he remembered how, long ago, he'd zapped flies in his bedroom.

_That was long ago_, he told himself, trying to repress his fears. _If you were what the Muggles call a "sociopath," you'd be a lot worse._

Then Mrs. Cole discussed whatever happened to Amy Benson and Dennis Bishop and Snape momentarily felt relieved.

_I've never done anything to other people, not like that. Although there were times where I certainly wanted to…_

Snape and the two Dumbledores followed Mrs. Cole up some stairs. They entered a room where a handsome boy who looked very much like his father sat on a bed reading a book.

_He seems normal enough. But there's something queer about him._

He watched as the boy expressed his skepticism of Dumbledore, thinking him to be a doctor from the lunatic asylum.

_No wonder he went berserk when Dumbledore used Legilimency on him. He doesn't want anyone getting inside his head._

He watched as the boy grew belligerent, then calmed when Dumbledore revealed to him the true nature of Hogwarts. Then he saw how the boy howled when Dumbledore ignited his wardrobe and in that cry of rage, he heard an echo of Voldemort's cries from the battle in the mine.

The hairs on the back of his neck began to rise.

He watched as Riddle continued interacting with Voldemort, how he refused the older man's help in Diagon Alley.

_Rude little berk, I think. Dumbledore should have punished him for his cheek._

Then he felt himself rising and soon found himself back in Dumbledore's office.

"Well," Snape said. "That was certainly illuminating."

Dumbledore smiled.

"We're not done yet. There is one more memory."

"Whose?"

"Morfin's."

Snape repressed a shudder. Something was most definitely wrong with Morfin Gaunt.

_Perhaps lunacy runs in the family._

Dumbledore poured another memory and Snape found himself in the dark, dirty cottage again. He saw Voldemort—now a young man—speaking to his foul uncle in Parseltongue and then everything went black.

"Tom Riddle Sr. and his parents were found dead soon afterwards, not a mark on them," Dumbledore said. "The Killing Curse. Morfin confessed to the crimes — Voldemort somehow altered his memory — and was sentenced to Azkaban. When I discovered the truth, I tried to free him, but he died first."

"So he killed the half of himself that he hates," Snape said. "But he's not done?"

Dumbledore shook his head.

"He sees the half of himself that he hates everywhere now. The Muggles, billions of them, who outnumber us by orders of magnitude. The Muggleborn, who enter Hogwarts and spread the knowledge of magic to their Muggle families. And that half of himself that he hates is still a part of him, however much he tries to be rid of it."

Snape swallowed.

_Hating everyone and hating even himself. He is a monster._

"Hating himself for having a Muggle parent, he found a target for his hatred in those who have two. Does this sound familiar?"

More chills ran up his spine.

_It most definitely sounds familiar._

"Well," Snape said, trying to change the subject. "I think this whole sordid tale should be made public knowledge. The great champion of Pureblood ideals not being a Pureblood himself? Avery and Mulciber didn't mind me being Half-Blood, but other members of our group looked down on me because of Father. I wonder how they'd react to find out their master is a half-breed like me."

"It is highly possible the 'true believers' among the Death Eaters will not believe it and it will put whoever prints the information at considerable risk. That is why I have not disclosed the information."

"But not every Death Eater is a 'true believer,'" Snape argued. "Haven't there been many defections lately, people who joined only because they were afraid and are now more afraid of us?"

"In that case, I do not see how learning about Voldemort's true blood status matters. It is his power that matters."

Snape was silent for a moment.

_How to make this work?_

"Thing is, sir, not all of Voldemort's supporters are zealous enough to take the Mark. Even if all the true Death Eaters remain faithful to their lord, the supporters who help keep the organization going may not."

He thought for a moment of the Blacks. From what he had gathered — from Regulus or Sirius directly or from Lily, who learned about things from Sirius or Potter — they thought Voldemort had the right ideas but were not Death Eaters themselves.

_Those people might be more easily shaken than, say, Bellatrix._

"Furthermore, if it was published in a reputable enough source — the _Daily Prophet_, perhaps — it would have more credibility."

Dumbledore nodded.

"A fair point," he said. "Were it not for those funding them and providing hiding places, the Death Eaters would find operating more difficult."

"And those people might be less willing to help them if they know what we know," Snape said.

Dumbledore nodded again.

"Very well, Severus, you have convinced me. I have allies in the _Prophet_ who might be very helpful here. I will have to go see them, plus I have other duties as Headmaster, so Horace will be along shortly to see you out."

Snape allowed himself a small smile.

_The ball is rolling._

"One more thing, sir," Snape asked.

"Yes?"

"You mentioned destroying another Horcrux. Which one?"

"The ring. Voldemort did not abandon his childhood habit of collecting trophies. He took the ring from Morfin Gaunt and hid it in the shack. Elphias and I found it there and we destroyed it with Fiendfyre."

There was something odd about the tone of Dumbledore's voice. Snape stopped himself from raising an eyebrow.

_Something's going here. There's more to that ring than the Horcrux._

Behind him, he heard the door open.

"Please see Mr. Snape out, Horace. It was good talking with you, Severus. I will put your plan into action soon."

As Slughorn walked him to a place where he could Apparate, Snape allowed himself a small smile.

_Let's see how my former friends react to this._


	67. The Imperio Massacre

The Imperio Massacre

**The Imperio Massacre**

By Matthew W. Quinn

June 10th, 1979

11 AM

The _Daily Prophet_ had run the article on the real history of the Dark Lord four days after Snape's talk with Dumbledore at Hogwarts.

Snape allowed himself a small smile as he walked by the paper's offices in Diagon Alley.

_It's been a little less than a week and that one little article has taken its toll._

Over twenty corpses bearing the Dark Mark had been found all over Britain, probably Death Eaters who'd asked inconvenient questions about their lord's true ancestry.

_That will reduce the enemy's manpower a fair bit. Make it easier for us who're on the front lines._

Unfortunately, none of the intelligence reports Dumbledore had allowed him to see made any mention of the Death Eaters having funding problems.

_That would have been the most helpful development — the rich Purebloods cutting off the Dark Lord's allowance._

Of course, it _had_ been less than a week.

He walked on past the _Prophet_ and looked at the note he'd written in his pocket.

_Okay. The Potions company's office is two streets past the _Prophet_ and then I take a left. Let's hope this interview goes well._

Then all hell broke loose around him.

The first thing he saw was an elderly witch casting a Killing Curse at a young mother. The spell sent her sprawling and her baby flying. A wizard ran to catch the child, only to suddenly blast the child with what looked like Reductor.

Then several witches and wizards apparently decided to start killing other bystanders, some with the Killing Curse and others with less lethal spells.

_What the hell? What's going on?_

Then he spotted black-robed figures moving among the duelists.

_The Death Eaters. They're behind this. They must be using the Imperius Curse en masse._

Snape saw the Death Eaters approaching the _Daily Prophet's_ office.

_So that's the plan. Use the Imperius Curse to distract everyone while they wreak retribution._

He allowed himself a small smile.

_I wonder if they knew an Order of the Phoenix member would be in the crowd?_

Then he saw a flash of green light and hurled himself to the ground. The Killing Curse passed through the space he'd occupied a moment before.

_Standing around thinking is not a good idea. Get going!_

One Death Eater took the lead. A woman stepping out of the _Prophet_ saw him coming and tried to rush back into the building. The Death Eater killed her before she could even open the door.

_Enough is enough. Sectumsempra!_

Snape's curse caught the Death Eater across the backs of the thighs, hamstringing him. The man fell screaming to the ground. Another Death Eater shouted and pointed in his direction.

"That's Snape!"

_Mulciber. Bugger._

Michael Mulciber leaped in Snape's direction, firing Killing Curses. Snape leaped out of the way and two witches died instead of him.

Two middle-aged wizards erupted from the crowd, casting curses at him. None of them seemed to be the Killing Curse.

_They don't need to be. All they need to do is hit me with a good Stupefy or Petrificus Totalis and Mulciber will finish me._

He deflected those curses and fired the Blasting Curse into the street, sending them flying. Then he turned his attentions back to Mulciber.

_Os intorqueo! Putesco! Sectumsempra!_

Mulciber deflected all three of the curses. He moved to cast a spell of his own, only to be hit by a curse hurled by a bystander.

Snape nodded to the man, who nodded back. The man stepped forward and cast curses at the other Death Eaters, who had peeled away from the _Prophet_ to deal with Snape. He saw one of them making the movements for the Killing Curse in the direction of his new ally.

_Oh no you don't. Os intorqueo!_

The Death Eater fell to his knees as Snape's spell hit him. Snape could see distended shoulder blades ripping through his black robes and the man's arms and head twisting as though they were clay in the hands of a potter on LSD.

Then Mulciber cast the Killing Curse. Snape threw himself to the ground, dodging the curse but enabling Mulciber to charge. Snape tried to scramble to his feet, but Mulciber jabbed with his wand and knocked Snape down again.

Mulciber laughed and jabbed again, but Snape was faster.

_Sectumsempra!_

His curse caught Mulciber in the torso, cutting from his hip to his opposite armpit. Blood spattered Snape's face.

_Got you now. Confringo!_

Mulciber deflected the spell, but his wound slowed him and the spell knocked him back a few feet. Snape rose to his feet and slashed. Mulciber managed to block that spell too, but he was starting to slow.

_Looks like I'll be bagging you today._

Mulciber jabbed with his wand, but it wasn't at Snape.

_What's he doing?_

A pair of Killing Curses erupted from the crowd. Snape saw the man who'd helped him go down. He barely dodged the other curse, the heat of the spell burning his face, only for Mulciber to get in a curse of his own.

Snape felt something slam into him and tumbled down the street away from the _Prophet_. He scrambled to his feet as a Death Eater — he couldn't tell if it was Mulciber or someone else — approached.

"Time to die, you blood traitor," the man growled, casting the Killing Curse.

Something slammed into the Death Eater, sending the spell flying into the sky. The smell of decay bloomed around him and Snape could see the whites of his eyes yellowing.

_The Flesh-Rotting Curse. I thought I was the only one who used it._

"Hallo, Severus," Arnold Trigg said as he emerged from the crowd, his blue Department of Magical Law Enforcement robes billowing around him. Another Death Eater moved to attack him, but Trigg waved his wand and blood erupted from the man's throat.

_Sectumsempra too. He's been busy._

The first Death Eater lunged at Trigg, but a backhand blow sent the man tumbling, his skull caved in. The man landed at Snape's feet, still moaning.

_What the hell? How can he possibly still be alive?_

Snape remedied that with a Sectumsempra cut across the throat.

"Get them both!" Mulciber roared and a dozen witches and wizards charged, hurling Killing Curses. Trigg threw himself and Snape to the ground as the curses slammed into the buildings behind them, blasting out great chunks of the masonry.

_Confringo! Confringo! Confringo!_

Snape's trio of curses sent many of the Imperiused wizards flying.

Trigg's response was more severe. He brought his hand to mouth and muttered the appropriate incantation.

_Fiendfyre? No, not here!_

"Stop!" Snape ordered. "Those aren't Death Eaters!"

A stream of fire arced up, taking the form of a massive serpent. It loomed above the crowd, fiery eyes searching, before diving straight down at a black-clad Death Eater. The man barely had time to scream before the Fiendfyre reduced him to ash and bone.

_Holy Mary! He's able to control Fiendfyre better than I can and I didn't even loan him the_ Courland Grimoire.

The serpent reared again and glared at another Death Eater. The man gestured with his wand and several Imperiused wizards put their bodies between him and the Fiendfyre.

"I've got a clear shot," Snape hissed. "If you could move a little bit…"

Trigg blinked and the burning serpent surged forward. It snaked around several of the mind-controlled wizards, leaving them with burns of varying severity, then surged straight through two of the Imperiused wizards to incinerate the Death Eater.

"What the hell? They were under Imperius!"

"Perhaps, perhaps not," Trigg retorted. "There've been Death Eater attacks made by people not in uniform lately."

Snape barely had time to ponder that new wrinkle before he was suddenly interrupted.

CRACK! CRACK!

Kingsley Shacklebolt and John Dawlish materialized on the front steps of the _Prophet_.

CRACK!

On the other side of the crowd, Frank Longbottom appeared. The three of them waved their wands and the crowd turned on the remaining Death Eaters. The crowds pulled one down but the remaining two — including Mulciber — Disapparated.

"Damn it," Dawlish swore.

Then he and Shacklebolt began making the movements for Imperius, as did Longbottom. All around them, witches and wizards began Disapparating.

_What's going on?_

Snape made his way to the Aurors, hopping aside whenever one of them looked in his direction. Trigg followed him.

"What are you doing?" Snape called out to Dawlish.

"We're making sure they go to a place where they can be detained," the Auror answered. "There've been Death Eater attacks made by people not wearing the uniforms these last couple of weeks. We'll go over them on a case-by-case basis once we've got them under control."

Snape restrained his jaw from dropping.

"You're putting that many people in Azkaban?"

Trigg shook his head.

"Nope. Azkaban is getting too crowded these days. We've established some camps in Scotland, complete with Dementors. We've got plenty of space there."

Snape felt a chill running up his spine. If he was in the wrong place at the wrong time, he could be caged with a Dementor too, and he was a member of the Order of the Phoenix.

"Are you sure this is a wise…"

"It's Ministry policy now," Dawlish said bluntly. "You don't like it, take it up with Crouch."

Snape scowled and tried to think of a sufficiently cutting reply, then figured it was pointless. Longbottom might oppose such practices, but Dawlish would do whatever the Ministry told him.

"Fine," Snape said. "Do you need my help with anything?"

Dawlish shook his head.

"Nope."

"Well then, I'll be sticking around for a minute to make sure you don't force me to Apparate to Azkaban, then I'll be on my way."

Dawlish snorted and returned to his work. A moment later, the streets were clear and the three Aurors vanished. Snape turned and made his way to the place where he was to have his job interview, only to find it locked.

_No surprise there._

"It's Severus Snape," he called out. "The attack is over."

_No answer. Homenum revelio._

Nobody was there. When the trouble started, they must have fled.

_I probably would, in their position._

He sighed and pulled a piece of paper from his pocket. He scribbled a note on it and affixed it to their door with a charm.

_If they didn't end up Apparating themselves into prison and they're knowledgeable enough to call me by the Muggle telephone, good. If they insist on using owls or some other means, this might mean more delays._

He sighed again.

_Lily's sister's going to be an even bigger shrew than usual. The longer I go without a regular job, the more she's going to think I'm being a parasite._


	68. A Former Foe's Wedding

A Former Foe's Wedding

**A Former Foe's Wedding**

By Matthew W. Quinn

June 29th, 1979 AD

3 PM

Severus Snape entered the church of Saint Mary Orton in the town of the same name.

_It's Potter's and Mary's wedding and I've got to find a good place to sit._

His dark eyes leaped forward and he saw Lily Evans Snape taking her place as Matron of Honor, with Remus Lupin as Best Man.

_Of course, with your wife as Matron of Honor, you're already well-connected with the Gryffindor Wedding of the Year, so no need to be_ too _obvious._

He found social politicking annoying but, unfortunately, quite necessary.

He saw Arnold Trigg sitting by himself near the front.

_Uh oh._

Trigg was probably still angry at Potter and Mary's ill-timed marriage proposal and Snape feared he might do something rash.

_I suppose if anyone can keep him under control, it's me. After all, I'm the one who supplied him with much of the information he needed to wield Dark Magic like he does._

Snape came to the pew and sat next to Trigg.

"Afternoon," he said.

Trigg nodded.

"Afternoon," he replied.

He shifted his gaze back to the altar.

Snape repressed a scowl.

_He had better not be staring at Lily._

He shook his head.

_He loved Marlene dearly. It will take time for him to move on and I really doubt he'd start by chasing after a married woman, let alone my wife._

He discreetly examined Trigg's face out of the corner of his eye.

_He's got that staring-out-into-space look. No danger there._

Then James Potter arrived. He looked rather nervous as he approached the altar. Lupin and Lily both hugged him and whispered to him.

_Someone seems a bit nervous._

The other bridesmaids and groomsmen appeared soon afterward. Snape was shocked to see Sarah Jewell there.

_Well, she_ was _a participant in the same study group as Lily and Mary._

Hopefully things wouldn't get _too_ awkward if they were to run into each other at the reception.

_Perhaps I can find out just what she's been up to. It hasn't been that long since she graduated._

Then the wedding march began and all rose as Mary Macdonald, escorted by her father, entered the room.

_Wow,_ Snape thought as he watched her come down the aisle_. She is beautiful._

The bride and her father took their positions at the altar. The Squib vicar — something the Church of England had inherited from its Catholic forebears — began the ceremony.

"**Dearly** beloved, we are gathered together here in the sight of God, and in the face of this congregation, to join together this man and this woman in holy matrimony; which is an honorable estate, instituted of God in the time of man's innocency…"

Snape watched as the vicar led Potter and Mary in their vows. They then knelt at the altar as the vicar led them in prayer. As the ceremony went on, Snape had to force himself to pay attention.

_This ceremony is even longer than mine and they're Protestants!_

The vicar formally joined Potter and Mary in marriage and then preached a sermon on the duties of spouses to each other.

After the ceremony concluded, Snape and Lily took their places in the receiving line and greeted the newlyweds.

"Congratulations," Snape said to Mary as she passed by.

She smiled.

"Thank you," she replied, shaking his extended hand. She moved on to Lily and the two women embraced.

Then Potter passed by.

"Congratulations," Snape said, forcing himself to smile.

Although the old feud was largely healed — and the fact that Potter was married to Mary now meant he probably would not have any ambitions towards Lily — it was difficult to be sincerely happy for Potter.

Potter took no notice of this.

"Thanks, Severus."

June 29th, 1979 AD

4 PM

Soon afterward, the guests headed to the reception in the backyard of the Potters' big country house nearby.

_Trigg's gone_, Snape noticed as the last of the guests arrived. _Good. No risk of him having too much to drink and making trouble._

He thought back to the Death Eater assault on the _Daily Prophet_ and how Trigg had controlled the Fiendfyre with precision and ruthlessness that Snape himself could not match, even though he now spent at least an hour a day practicing at Spinner's End or at the Order of the Phoenix headquarters.

_I wouldn't want to have to fight him._

He looked for Lily and spotted her sipping some wine with Mary and one of the bridesmaids, who Snape did not recognize. Then they all started whispering to each other.

_Ah. Girl time._

Snape knew not to intrude and wondered if, given the occasion, he'd even _want_ to know what they were discussing.

_If it turns out they're talking about our honeymoon in excruciating detail, I think I would die._

"Hallo, Sev!" John Anderson said. Snape turned to see his friend approaching alongside a tall, slender blonde.

_What's this? John's dating someone again?_

It had been six months since the Death Eaters killed the woman whom Anderson had planned to propose to.

On one hand, that meant Anderson still wasn't stewing in grief like he'd been for the first months after her death. On the other hand, it wouldn't do to date someone just as a replacement.

"Sev, this is Alexandra Easton. Alex, this is my friend Severus Snape."

"I've heard of you," she said as she shook Snape's hand.

_Hopefully only good things._

Anderson would never intentionally bad-mouth him, but he did sometimes suffer from what Father so charmingly called "diarrhea of the mouth."

"Charmed," Snape replied.

"She's a Metamorphmagus," Anderson said. "Isn't that cool?"

Alexandra obliged by briefly altering her face and hair to resemble Holly Goodhead from the Muggle film _Moonraker_.

_So they saw it too? It hasn't been out that long._

"I take it you liked _Moonraker_?"

Alexandra nodded. As she began describing a particular part of the film she liked, Snape saw movement out of the corner of his eye.

It was Sarah and a dark-haired young man walking towards Potter, who was apparently discussing something with Lupin over by the buffet table. They walked close together, much like how he and Sarah had walked long ago.

_I wonder who that is?_

The young man reached out to shake Potter's hand and when he did, Snape got a good look at his face.

_Sarah and Regulus Black? Makes sense. Not only does she meet his exalted Pureblood criteria, but she always did like the bad boy._

That troubled him.

_It's true I had a bit of that bad boy appeal, but I never actually became a Death Eater. Regulus did._

Suddenly he felt something behind him and hands clapped over his eyes. His heart skipped a couple of beats before he heard Lily's voice behind him.

"Guess who?"

"Lois Chiles?"

Behind him, Lily laughed and removed her hands from his eyes. Snape saw her wine glass levitate off the ground back into her hand.

_The only Muggles here are Mary's mother's family and I don't see any of them looking our way, so no problem there._

"Is everything going well?" he asked.

Lily nodded. "Yep. James and Mary will be having a most interesting honeymoon. They're visiting most of the European capitals, a full tour."

"Wow. That'll take awhile."

Lily shook her head.

"Not if it's timed right. Mary thinks they'll only be gone a little longer than we were."

_Good. We wouldn't want them gone too long, with the war on and all._

"Hallo!" someone said from behind him. Snape turned to see a red-haired man with the beginnings of a receding hairline and green robes headed his way.

Anderson leaned closer. "That's Arthur Weasley. The man's a bit mad."

Snape raised an eyebrow.

"Really?"

Anderson nodded. "The man's _obsessed_ with Muggles. When he found out my dad was one, he kept hounding me to arrange an appointment for him at his office. Wanted to see how the Muggle legal profession works. I told him…"

Anderson didn't have any more time to talk, for Weasley was upon them.

"My name is Arthur Weasley," he said, enthusiastically shaking Snape's hand. "I've heard of you, Severus."

Snape stiffened at this overly-friendly use of his first name.

_What is he doing?_

"I've heard about what you did down in the mine, how you and your friend used shields to deflect the Killing Curse. Is it true you got that from studying the Muggle military?"

Snape swallowed.

"Well…yes. Father was a soldier twenty years ago and he had some military history books."

Weasley nodded, clearly interested in hearing more. Snape repressed a sigh and continued.

"And one of them was on the Roman army. Some of their formations got me thinking."

Weasley nodded again.

"Given how the Death Eaters are dominated by the most anti-Muggle of wizards, I think we might be able to confound them using Muggle tactics," he said. "It seems you're the only person besides me who's had this idea."

Snape raised an eyebrow.

_Irritating as this Weasley can be, his Muggle obsession might come in handy._

Then Snape heard something crash.

"Percy!" a woman yelled.

Snape's eyes jumped over to the table where the punchbowl had been. A stocky redheaded woman was rushing over and a redheaded toddler wept, covered in punch.

Snape repressed the urge to smile.

Behind her, he could see two red-haired babies in a stroller that slowly wheeled itself back and forth, keeping them at least quiet. Two redheaded boys who both looked to be younger than ten watched.

"Oh dear," Weasley said. "Percy's knocked over the punchbowl. It was nice meeting you, Severus."

Weasley set off towards his family.

"So many children," Snape commented as soon as he was sure the older man was out of earshot. "At such an inopportune time."

"Sev," Lily said. "That was unkind."

_Bringing up kids in front of Lily. Bad idea._

Luckily, she decided to set off and help the Weasleys with their children, preventing further argument.

Anderson smiled.

"Looks like she's getting her red-haired kid fix for the day."

Snape allowed himself a small smile.

"Yes, it does."


	69. Victory and Defeat

Victory and Defeat

**Victory and Defeat**

by Matthew W. Quinn

**Author's Note: **Kudos to Darth Gojira, Kerney, and SarcasticMyth from Fiction Alley for the discussion involving the Death Eaters and religion.

July 8th, 1979

5:30 PM

"You ready?" Severus Snape asked Arthur Weasley.

The other man nodded and stepped over to the first of the mortars he'd requisitioned from the Muggle government via the Ministry.

_Let's see if this works._

Snape and Weasley had undertaken the tricky work of siphoning out the Muggle nerve gas in the chemical shells and replacing it with wizarding Garroting Gas.

_The plan is to force them out of the house into the teeth of our soldiers. Nerve gas would kill them outright and we'd have to go inside to check to see who survived, risking our own people. _

The country house the Death Eaters were using as a base lay beneath them. Snape's dark eyes crossed the adjacent hills and he spotted several other members of the Order of the Phoenix, including Elphias Doge and Frank Longbottom, taking up positions around the house.

"Send the signal," Weasley ordered.

Snape raised his wand and fired a burst of magical light. Weasley dropped the first shell into the tube, then dropped another into the next mortar.

_Crump. Crump. Crump. Crump. Crump._

The shells — a mix of explosives and Garroting Gas — rained down on the house. Snape could see the other members of the Order shift forward, ready for battle.

_Crash-crash-crash-crash-crash._

The mortar shells tore the building open. Snape could see wisps of Garroting Gas hissing through the cracks the building.

Death Eaters began spilling out of the house. Snape counted ten.

_Our numbers are about even._

"Stay here and watch the mortars," Snape ordered. "If we fall back, start dropping explosive shells on them."

Snape Disapparated, arriving amidst the dueling combatants.

He slashed with his wand, hamstringing one Death Eater. The man fell and James Potter quickly Petrified him.

"Good shot," he said.

Snape began to nod, then saw a Death Eater rising up behind Potter, wand moving to administer the Killing Curse.

"Potter…" Snape began. He raised his wand as Potter, apparently realizing he had an enemy behind him, began to turn. Snape saw the Death Eater making the final movements, the flash of green light beginning.

A red light flashed and the jet of green light slammed into the ground mere inches from Potter's feet. Blood spattered the Gryffindor's face.

"What the hell!" Potter shouted. He fired a Blasting Curse straight into the chest of the Death Eater, whose wand hand hung limply. His spell picked up the wizard terrorist and sent him flying twenty feet.

Regulus Black strode into the scene.

"I never imagined using your spell against Death Eaters," Black said. "Life's interesting sometimes."

"Now is not the time for chatter, Black," Snape hissed, reminded of the times he or others had lectured Sirius about reckless behavior.

"Die you blood traitor!" a familiar voice shouted.

_Avery._

Snape barely had time to think, only react. He leaped aside, the Killing Curse passing where he'd been standing. Black and Potter were able to dodge as well and the jet of green light hurled into a nearby tree and blew it apart.

Snape spun and slashed with his wand. Justin Avery deflected the blow and hurled the Killing Curse again. Snape dodged, feeling the heat on his skin as it missed him by three inches.

_Sectumsempra_. He aimed his blow high. Avery Shielded himself, blocking the blow, and Snape struck low, hoping to hit a vital blood vessel.

Avery was quicker than he remembered. He managed to bring his Shield low and block that one too. His rejoinder was a Blasting Curse that Snape barely managed to deflect, a blow that sent Snape staggering.

Avery stabbed with his wand and Snape's wand leaped away.

_Accio!_

Snape called his wand back. Unfortunately, before the wand was halfway back, Avery unleashed a jet of flame from his wand.

Snape hit the ground and rolled, the flames only kissing the hem of his robe. Somewhere in the roll, his wand was back in his hand and he rose to fire on his former friend.

_Confringo! Confringo! Confringo!_

Avery Shielded himself, but the three attacks knocked him backwards onto his arse.

_Now!_

Snape fired another Blasting Curse into Avery's gut. The attack sent him skidding backward onto his back.

_Got you now._

Snape bounded forward, jinking from side to side to avoid any curses.

Avery struggled to his feet.

_Petrificus totalis!_

Avery managed to deflect that spell, but wasn't able to deflect the next one.

_Confringo!_

The spell knocked him onto his back again. Snape loomed over him, wand pointed into his masked face.

"Mercy," Avery asked, blood trickling from under his mask. "Mercy, please, for old time's sake."

Snape scowled.

_I wonder how many times you denied mercy to others._

It would not be that hard to kill him then. A well-placed Sectumsempra would sever his carotid arteries…

_No. Alive, he could be a useful source of information._

"You disgust me," Snape hissed. He Petrified his fallen foe, then cast Mobilicorpus. The Death Eater rose in the air and floated towards a collection point where several other fallen Death Eaters had been piled.

_This is easier than I thought. Perhaps when this is done, we can reinforce Lily and her team._

Lily Evans Snape and several other Order soldiers had been assigned to attack a house near Cambridge where several young, single Death Eaters were rumored to live.

Snape barely had time to think, for another Death Eater was upon him.

"Avery," Michael Mulciber snorted. "What a weakling."

Mulciber stabbed with his wand and a burst of flame erupted. Snape paled at the sight—the sheer volume of it made him wonder if the man had unleashed Fiendfyre.

_Protego!_

The flames slammed into Snape's Shield, but did not take animal form and gnaw their way through like Fiendfyre would.

_Good._

Then Mulciber, having pinned Snape with the fiery attack, hurled the Killing Curse.

_Oh no!_

Snape dropped out from behind his Shield. The jet of green light passed through where his chest would have been. Mulciber resumed his fiery assault, the flames kissing Snape's stomach and legs.

"Burn, you backstabbing blood traitor!" Mulciber shouted. Snape could feel his own clothes catching fire and that gave him an idea.

_Fight fire with water. Aguamenti!_

The gout of water doused his clothes as well as the jet of flames emerging from Mulciber's wand and sent the Death Eater staggering.

_Expelliarmus!_

Mulciber's wand leaped away, only to jump back into his hand.

_Looks like Dolohov taught others before he died._

Mulciber hurled a succession of Blasting Spells. Snape couldn't get his Shield up in time and the resulting explosion sent him tumbling. He skidded along the ground, knocking over a Death Eater and another Order member like ninepins, and came to a stop mere inches from a large rock.

He'd misplaced his wand somewhere in the tumble.

_Accio wand!_

His wand leaped into his hand as Mulciber rushed forward, murder in his eyes.

"Die!"

He hurled the Killing Curse straight at Snape's head. Snape bent his body upwards and the curse missed and slammed into the nearby rock. The resulting explosion left some chips of stone embedded in his head and shoulders and blood seeped into Snape's eyes.

_Sectumsempra!_

Snape slashed with his wand but his aim was off. Instead of disemboweling his former friend, his spell cut across Mulciber's shin.

_Sod all. I should have used something else. Putesco!_

Mulciber deflected that one. The spell slammed into a nearby tree and shriveled it.

"Avada Kedavra!" Doge shouted and Mulciber hit the ground and rolled, the Killing Curse passing through where his head had been.

_Thanks Doge._

Mulciber fired the Killing Curse at the Auror. Doge stepped aside and fired the Killing Curse at Mulciber, barely missing.

Mulciber didn't retaliate. Instead, he cast a spell at a nearby rock and grabbed it, disappearing from sight.

_Using a Portkey to evade anti-Disapparition wards. Clever move._

He made a note to learn that kind of magic.

Someone cried out and the last of the battle-noises ceased.

_Wow. That was quick._

"All right," Longbottom ordered. "Nobody has fired on us from inside the house, so it is probable these were the only ones that were home. Still, it's prudent to check."

"Why don't we simply knock the bloody house down?" Snape asked. "We could use Blasting Curses to do it, plus Weasley up there has got the Muggle weapons."

He gestured to his redheaded compatriot, who waved back.

Longbottom shook his head.

"Pleasing as that may be, Severus, there might be valuable information in that house. We need to go in and check things out."

"I'll go," Potter volunteered.

Snape repressed a snort.

_How delightfully Gryffindorish._

Still, he did not wish to be shown up by Potter.

"I'll go in next," Snape said.

"Thanks," Potter said.

Potter climbed the stairs onto the front porch and cast a Bubble-Head Charm about his head. Snape did the same and they passed through the open door of the house.

The Death Eaters hadn't had time to turn the lights off when they fled the building and so there was plenty of light. A knee-high layer of Garroting Gas filled the house and shafts of moonlight pierced the rips in the building the high-explosive mortar rounds had made.

_Good job, Weasley._

"All right," Potter said as they came to a split in the hallway. "You go that way and I'll go this way."

"Splitting up strikes me as unwise, Potter. If there are any of them left in the house, they could set upon us individually."

Potter thought for a moment.

"True. But I think we can handle any leftover Death Eaters, particularly if they're half-dead from the gas."

Potter set off in his chosen direction alone.

Snape sighed.

_How delightfully Gryffindorish._

Wand out, he set off down the hallway. He hadn't gone far when a high, cold voice froze him in his tracks.

"You see, the one the Muggles called 'Moses' bears all the hallmarks of a Mudblood. He came from nothing and wormed his way into the corridors of power, with the training of the Purebloods who served the Pharaoh to help him along…"

_Why on Earth is the old bastard prattling on about religion?_

He knew from hanging out with Avery and Mulciber that the Death Eaters viewed the founders of the Muggle religions as wizards who managed to delude Muggles into following them. Snape had never believed that, although the miracle of the loaves and fishes certainly resembled a Duplication Charm writ large.

He pressed himself up against the wall and listened.

"Like Mudbloods everywhere, Moses helped himself to all the achievements of Pureblood culture and then he revealed his true colors, using his magic to help his Muggle people escape Egypt and betraying those who had done so much for him."

Snape stabbed with his wand, launching his bat Patronus towards the front door.

_The Dark Lord is here. Send reinforcements. Preferably multiple Aurors._

Snape cocked his head and listened for the voice again.

"And this 'Jesus Christ' is even more obviously a wizard, even if it is possible due to his dubious parentage that he was Half-Blood and not Mudblood. Changing water to wine is simple Transfiguration, while using 'Gemino' can account for the loaves and fishes…"

Snape crept towards the voice.

_If the old bastard is busy monologuing when we've bombarded his base, he's gone off the deep end. He might not be at the top of his game._

Part of him said this was insane — _wait for the Aurors, they're professionals_ — but another part of him craved the glory that would accrue to his name if he was the one who brought the Dark Lord down.

_Careful, careful._

However, the closer he drew near to the voice, the slower his movements became.

_That man, that monster, fought several wizards at once and was winning when Dumbledore showed up. Unless you take him by surprise and use the Killing Curse — which would put you in Azkaban — there's no way you can win._

Of course, Petrifying or Stunning might work, if he could put sufficient power behind the spell.

_Wait for the Aurors. If you fight alongside them, you'll still get the glory and you have much better odds of surviving._

Snape stopped. A moment passed and Longbottom came around the corner.

"Where is he?" the Auror asked in barely a whisper.

"I know few of us are Muslims, but I think that matter needs addressing," the Dark Lord said. "I strongly suspect the creature this 'Mohammed' is _said_ to have ridden to Jerusalem was a Thestral and, given his career choices, he certainly would have seen death…"

Snape gestured with his head at the source of the sound.

Longbottom narrowed his eyes and walked towards where the speech was coming from, a room down the hall. Snape followed.

_If Longbottom misses with the Killing Curse, which he'll probably use, go for the throat with Sectumsempra. Even if he can heal the wound, the blood loss will hurt him._

Longbottom approached the door.

"Ready?" he mouthed to Snape.

Snape nodded.

Quick as lightning, Longbottom blasted down the door and hurled two Killing Curses in quick succession. Snape followed up with several Sectumsempras and the Flesh-Rotting Curse for good measure.

Nothing moved in the room other than falling debris. Longbottom stepped into the room, followed soon after by Snape. Both had their wands out, ready for battle.

_Where is he? The only being the old bastard seems to fear is Dumbledore and he's not here._

"So you see," the high cold voice said from the corner. "It is foolish for us wizards to follow the religions of those whose ancestors tried to burn ours at the stake and sometimes succeeded."

Longbottom spun and fired the Killing Curse. The resulting explosion destroyed what looked like a device for copying eight-track tapes.

"All wizards ought to forsake the practice of the Muggle faiths," a garbled voice said from a mutilated speaker. "Instead they ought to spend their gold on worthier causes, such as…"

"Damn it," Longbottom swore. "It wasn't Voldemort."

Snape was secretly relieved.

"This place was a propaganda-production center," Longbottom continued. "You've seen these tapes and records around, right?"

Snape nodded. He'd found one tape bundled with the _Daily Prophet_ a few days ago, a tape describing how Muggle-borns routinely violated the Statute for Secrecy by telling family members about the magical world and how that would doom them all.

_Many wizards don't have eight-track tape players, although many of us certainly have record players._

"Time to call in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, to collect evidence," Longbottom said.

The two of them left the house, encountering Potter on the porch. He'd searched the place and hadn't found anything either.

_Okay_, Snape thought. _All done here except for the collection of evidence. Now to go to Cambridge and…_

The sudden appearance of a man in St. Mungo's robes interrupted his thoughts.

"Severus Snape!" he said. "Something's happened. You must come quickly."

_Uh oh. I hope Lily's all right. Allen said he'd look after her for me._

Allen McIntosh — who'd joined the Order of the Phoenix after graduating — was part of the same raiding party as Lily, but he was young and inexperienced in war.

"What happened?" Snape demanded.

"She was tending to some Muggle-born girls we'd rescued from that house when a group of Death Eater reinforcements showed up. I think that bitch Lestrange was leading them. There was a fight and she was hurt before the Aurors could drive them off. They took her to St. Mungo's."

Snape felt his heart sink.

"Take me to her," he demanded, steel in his voice. "Now."

"Will do."

The man stuck out his arm, Snape took it, and they were gone.


	70. Vow of Vengeance

Vow of Vengeance

**Vow of Vengeance**

by Matthew W. Quinn

**Author's Note:** Any of y'all who like the "reimagined" _Battlestar Galactica_ might be interested in reading my story "The Death of the Triton," which is also posted on .

July 8th, 1979

6 PM

Severus Snape and the St. Mungo's orderly materialized in an alley near what would appear to Muggles to be a condemned department store. The orderly spoke the mannequin, explaining why they were there, and as soon as the mannequin nodded, Snape barged through the window into the hospital lobby.

"Where is she?" Snape demanded of the Welcome Witch who sat at the reception desk.

"Umm, sir…" the witch stammered.

"Calm down, sir," the orderly ordered.

_The man has a good point._

Snape breathed in and out, deliberately calming himself.

"Very well. Where is Lily Evans Snape?"

The orderly rolled his eyes.

"Sir, I was going to take you there."

Snape's pale face reddened.

"Oh," he said. "Sorry."

"Don't worry about it," the Welcome Witch said. "It's understandable you're upset."

"She's on the fourth floor, for spell damage," the orderly said. "Follow me."

Snape followed the orderly to the fourth floor. Along the way, they passed by several rooms marked with the names of other members of the Order of the Phoenix.

_Uh oh. Things must not have gone well._

The orderly came to a room marked "L. Snape" and opened the door.

"Here you go, Mr. Snape."

Lily Evan Snape was sitting on her bed — _that's a good sign_ — when Snape came in. Mere seconds after she saw her husband, she had all but jumped on him.

"I'm glad you're all right, Sev," she said, burying her face in his shoulder.

"I'm glad you're all right," Snape said. "I feared the worst when the orderly said that harridan Bellatrix had gotten hold of you…"

Lily winced at the name.

"Oh yeah. She certainly did."

"What happened?"

Lily stepped over to the bed and Snape sat down beside her.

"This happened."

July 8th, 1979

5:45 PM

Lily handed some cocoa to the young Muggle-born woman — her name was Alice, she thought — who they rescued from the house.

_Bastards_, she thought, her anger reddening her face. _Sick bastards, the lot of them._

Luckily, they'd managed to kill two of the Death Eaters who'd been living at the house. Two more — she thought one of them was Evan Rosier, based on how he fought with some kind of magical whip and kept trying to get at her specifically — managed to escape.

_Two Death Eaters dead and we've managed to rescue three captives. Not bad for a night's work._

Still, two of the four managed to escape. Some of the things she'd been told already had made her sick and she figured that was just the beginning of it. Plus she figured the girls would need care for awhile.

_Kill them_, she grated mentally. _Kill them all._

CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

"Die, blood traitors and scum!"

A green light flashed behind Lily and she threw herself to the ground. The jet of green light shot through where she'd been and slammed into Alice, killing her instantly.

_Bellatrix Lestrange. Incendio!_

Lily unleashed a torrent of fire at the nearest Death Eater. The man's robes ignited and he panicked, running around screaming and burning.

"You idiot!" Bellatrix hissed. "Stop, drop, and roll!"

She stabbed with her wand and a torrent of water doused the flames.

Kingsley Shacklebolt moved to engage the Death Eaters. The burned Death Eater suddenly turned on his fellows, attacking them with a variety of spells, but a big Death Eater quickly Stunned him. The Death Eater then went after Shacklebolt and the two engaged in a furious duel. The other Death Eaters leaped into the fray and twilight nearly turned to day with all the spells flying around.

Lily saw Dedalus Diggle move to engage the new arrivals, only to be quickly blasted aside.

_Brave, but not sensible. How typical of him._

Shouting her war cry, Lily threw herself into the battle. She set another Death Eater aflame and moved to engage a tall, feminine-looking Death Eater who was preparing to attack Shacklebolt.

"Does the ickle Mudblood want to play?" the Death Eater asked. Lily's blood ran cold.

_That's Bellatrix._

"Yes, I do," Lily challenged. She unleashed a combination of fire and Stunners, momentarily forcing the older woman back.

Bellatrix growled and retaliated, hurling a barrage of Killing Curses and other spells. Lily managed to dodge the jets of green light, but a concussive spell of some kind hit her in the chest and sent her tumbling, the wind knocked out of her.

Lily tried to scramble to her feet, but Bellatrix suddenly loomed over her and kicked her, knocking her down again.

"Half-Blood as he was, your husband showed some promise. You'll pay for leading him astray. Crucio!"

Her spell set every nerve in Lily's body aflame. Lily grit her teeth and tried not to scream, but it proved difficult.

Then Bellatrix screamed, blood erupting from her shoulder. She turned, murder in her eyes, to the source of the attack.

Allen McIntosh tried to slash her again, but this time, Bellatrix managed to Shield herself.

"Blood traitor," she hissed. "Another disgrace to the name of Salazar Slytherin!"

Bellatrix quickly got the better of McIntosh and unleashed a whirling pinwheel of purple light. McIntosh tried to Shield himself, but the spell cut right through the shield and through his left arm and leg.

The young man's limbs came away and he screamed. Bellatrix cackled and hurled a Blasting Curse, sending him flying.

Bellatrix howled in triumph before returning her attention to Lily.

"We're not finished, Mrs. Mudblood," she hissed.

Luckily, Lily had taken advantage of Bellatrix's distraction and retrieved her wand. As Bellatrix renewed her assault, Lily hurled another torrent of flame.

Bellatrix leaped back, surprised. She cast a Shield charm, but not before Lily's curse singed her hair.

"Ickle Mudblood," Bellatrix said. "You'll pay for that."

Lily moved to cast another curse, but Bellatrix was quicker. She Disarmed Lily and began Cruciating her again.

Lily grit her teeth again and, despite the waves of agony she felt in her very bones, refused to cry out.

_I won't give this harridan the pleasure._

"Scream," Bellatrix demanded. "Scream, ickle Mudblood!"

Lily opened her mouth and Bellatrix grinned.

"Go to hell," Lily spat.

Bellatrix's eyes bulged.

"You dare defy me, you, you insolent creature of dirt!"

Her rage amplified the Cruciatus's power and despite herself, Lily screamed. And screamed.

"Why don't you pick on someone your own size?" a deep voice rumbled. The pain cut off abruptly as something else grabbed Bellatrix's attention.

Lily and Bellatrix both looked at the same time to see Alastor Moody — who some had begun to call Mad-Eye due to his artificial eye — standing there alongside John Dawlish. The remaining healthy members of the Order of the Phoenix rallied to them and Lily could see them laying anti-Disapparition jinxes.

"Moody!" Bellatrix spat. "Death Eaters, to me!"

The Death Eaters — those who were still mobile — gathered around Bellatrix.

"Now!" she cried.

The Death Eaters fired a barrage of Killing Curses as a body. Diggle and another Order member she did not recognize fell, but the others managed to evade the attacks. Bellatrix fired a Killing Curse at Lily, who rolled and barely managed to dodge it.

The Death Eaters then Disapparated.

July 8th, 1979

6 PM

_Bellatrix Lestrange tortured Lily! Bellatrix Lestrange tried to _kill_ Lily._

_Bellatrix Lestrange must die._

Snape repressed his usual small smile.

_Now is not the time for a death's head grin, I think._

"Don't worry about me too much, Sev. I'll be fine. The others are worse off."

Snape swallowed. He'd been so concerned about Lily he'd forgotten about the other Order members.

_Including the ones_ you _taught to fight the Death Eaters, the ones who_ you _have responsibility for._

"H…how's Allen?"

"Well, they've stopped the bleeding, but owing to the Dark Magic involved, they can't reattach the limbs."

_Are they so sure?_

"Lily, I know more curses than some Healers. Perhaps…"

Lily held up her hand.

"Dumbledore himself couldn't fix it. None of them could. It was from a spell they'd never seen before."

_Oh my. Perhaps killing the bitch might be a bit premature. If she's inventing her own Dark spells, you might want to get that information from her first._

"The good news is the Ministry has agreed to provide him with replacements. They won't look like regular limbs, but they'll work just as well."

Lily then looked at him.

"Sev, you're a mess. What happened on your end?"

One of the pieces of rock embedded in his scalp hurt, reminding him that he had been in battle not long ago.

"Ugly business. Luckily we won there, big time. We killed several of them, captured Avery, and destroy an operation producing propaganda tapes."

Lily raised an eyebrow.

"Avery? I bet he was glad to see you."

"Not at first. He was awfully glad to see me when I'd gotten him down, though. I doubt his 'Mercy for old times' sake' plea would have worked on a Gryff…"

Lily scowled. Snape swallowed.

_Foot in mouth disease._

"On someone who hadn't been his friend before."

Lily nodded.

"A fair point."

The orderly returned.

"All right, Mr. Snape. I think it's time we let your wife rest for awhile."

Lily rolled her eyes.

"Niles, I'm fine. Look, I can walk around and everything."

She rose from the bed. The orderly — Niles — raised his hands.

"Mrs. Snape, please lie down. If you're still fine in the morning, you can leave, but please…"

Then he got a look at Snape.

"Oh dear," he said. "I hadn't noticed your condition, Mr. Snape."

Niles stepped out and a moment later, a green-robed Healer came in.

"Mr. Snape," the woman said. "You are a mess. Please come here."

Snape stepped over and the Healer ran her wand up and down his body.

"Hmm…several burns and a lot of surface lacerations. Plus there are some rocks embedded in you."

She healed the other injuries quickly enough, but searching out the bits of embedded rock took longer. Luckily, the Healer could Vanish them and then heal the wound, so it wasn't particularly painful.

"All right," the Healer said. "You're fine now. I think you can go home, although we'd like to keep your wife here, for observation."

"If she's here, I'm staying," Snape said flatly.

"Sev," Lily said. "You should go home. Where are you going to sleep?"

"Well," Snape said. "There's this chair here."

The Healer shrugged.

"Fine with me."

She stepped out and that reminded Snape he had someone else to see.

"I'll go see Allen," Snape said. "I'll be right back."

He made his way to a room marked "Allen McIntosh" and knocked on the door.

"Come in," a weak voice said.

Snape stepped inside.

"Hallo, Severus," McIntosh said, brightening noticeably "Haven't seen you in awhile. How've you been?"

"I'm well," Snape said. "I don't think I can say the same for you."

Lily's account was accurate. The Healers had cleaned up the superficial injuries, McIntosh's left arm below the elbow and his left leg below the knee were gone. Snape winced despite himself.

"Don't worry about it," McIntosh said. "Dumbledore said the Ministry will pay for a new arm and leg. The best ones they say are silver, although the bean-counters would prefer I pick bronze."

He winced.

"Hopefully Anne won't be too freaked out."

_One would hope._

Long ago, McIntosh's girlfriend Anne Caryl had been less frightened of joining the Death Eaters than her boyfriend. Hopefully McIntosh's injuries wouldn't intimidate her into taking the Mark.

"Mr. Snape," the orderly said indignantly. "Mr. McIntosh has just been hurt badly. I suggest you let him rest."

"Very well," Snape said.

July 9th, 1979

2:30 AM

Someone screamed, ripping Snape out of his sound sleep.

He jumped to his feet, tearing off the blankets and pointing with his wand at the source of the scream.

_Lily! Oh no!_

Lily screamed a second time.

"Go to hell, you wicked bitch," she shrieked, then she screamed again.

Snape was reminded immediately of Father's nightmares.

"Lily!" Snape called out.

Lily screamed again.

_If she keeps this up, she'll wake the entire hospital._

Snape stepped over and shook her.

"Lily, wake up! You're in St. Mungo's!"

Lily came awake with a start.

"Oh," Lily said. "Did I wake you up?"

Snape nodded.

"You were having a nightmare. I think it was…"

"About Bellatrix?"

Snape nodded again.

"Sorry. The orderly said I'd have dreams about it for awhile."

"If you'd like, I can sleep in the bed with you."

Lily shook her head.

"Sev, I don't think there's enough room for both of us."

"Are you sure? I'm not big, I can manage."

Lily smiled.

"Seriously, Sev."

Snape shrugged.

"All right. But if you have another screaming fit tonight, I'm coming in there with you."

"Deal."


	71. Snatch and Grab

Snatch and Grab

**Snatch and Grab**

By Matthew W. Quinn

**Author's Note: **When I posted Chapter 70, the notification system was acting screwy. In case this is the first time you've heard from me in awhile, there are more new chapters before this one. Also, Lily is not pregnant in my story — she is in Sindie's "The Moment It Began."

July 20th, 1979 AD

6:00 PM

Severus Snape and Lily Evans Snape had been married three and a half months and had not invited any of their friends to their home. Although Snape did not particularly care, Lily did.

So the Patronuses were duly sent out and James Potter and Mary Macdonald Potter, Regulus Black and Sarah Jewell, John Anderson and Alexandra Easton, and Remus Lupin came over one evening for a dinner party. Black brought Kreacher, which made feeding that many people much easier.

_At least when the elf is being cooperative_, Snape thought as he headed back to the sitting room from the kitchen. _It might have been better to borrow Sammy from Mum and Father but it's a little late for that now._

"Regulus," Snape said. "We've got a problem."

Black gave Sarah a squeeze before rising from their spot next to the fireplace and heading Snape's way.

"Let me guess," Black said. "Kreacher."

Snape nodded.

The two of them went into the kitchen, where Lily and Kreacher were having a standoff over the mashed potatoes.

"Kreacher refuses to put more salt in the mashed potatoes," Lily said. "And he gets awfully defensive when I try to do it myself."

"Kreacher," Black said. "What are you doing?"

"Master Regulus said that Kreacher is to help the Mudblood prepare…"

"Kreacher! We are guests!"

The elf actually looked contrite.

"Apologies, Master Regulus."

The elf looked sideways at Lily and Snape repressed the urge to practice Sectumsempra on the creature.

"But Master said Kreacher was to help Snape's wife prepare dinner. Snape's wife has already put too much salt in the mashed potatoes and wants to add more!"

"I have a name, you know," Lily interjected.

"Perhaps, perhaps not," Black said. "But this is her house and she has the final say. You will do what she tells you."

"Yes, Master Regulus. Kreacher apologizes for his impertinence."

"But," Black said. "You are permitted to offer advice."

"Gladly, Master Regulus."

Black returned to the sitting room. Snape lingered.

"You two need any help with dinner?"

Lily shook her head.

"I think we can handle it."

_It's not fair to leave her back here to prepare all the food, even if she does have help._

"Are you sure? I can make the salad or something."

Lily shook her head.

"One of us should be out there with our guests at all times."

She thought for a moment.

"Of course, I'm through with the potatoes, we can both go out there and leave Kreacher to get the roast out and make the salad. You wouldn't mind that, Kreacher?"

Kreacher bowed.

"Kreacher will serve Master Regulus's friends."

Snape forced himself to smile.

"Good."

Snape left the kitchen and returned to the sitting room. He sat down…

"Stop!" Anderson shouted from the nearby couch.

"What?" Snape asked, aborting his descent.

A gray blur jumped out from beneath him. The bobtail kitten Snape had bought for Lily after she returned from St. Mungo's leaped to safety on one of the arms of the shabby sofa where Anderson and his girlfriend sat. Alexandra reached across Anderson and picked the kitten up.

_Curses. I've got to get used to having Hector around the house. Lily would be extremely upset if I accidentally sat on him or stepped on him._

Sarah laughed, as did Potter and his wife, and Snape reddened a bit. He quickly decided to pre-empt any discussion of near-mishap.

"So," he asked. "How is _A Singer Silenced Forever_ going?"

"It's going," she replied. "Reg and I have narrowed it down to around twelve songs. Not sure if they'll fit on the record."

_Ah._

Ian Jewell had amassed a fair bit of solo material before he was killed several months before. Sarah had taken it upon herself to produce the record, a task that consumed most of the hours her job at the shop in Diagon Alley did not.

_Perhaps we can arrange for some of the proceeds to go to the Order of the Phoenix. It might give us a source of funding independent of the Ministry._

He dismissed the idea.

_Sarah wants nothing to do with the war now that Ian is dead. Dating Regulus is probably as far as she is willing to go._

Lily came in from the kitchen. "Okay," she said. "Kreacher and I have gotten everything ready except for the roast and that should be done in a minute. Everyone wash up now."

Snape repressed a sigh.

_Lily goes to work every day and to top it off, did most of the work tonight. I loiter at home or at the Order of the Phoenix headquarters. I'm bloody useless._

Lily looked at him funny. Snape quickly forced himself to smile.

July 20th, 1979 AD

8:30 PM

"Was something bothering you, Sev?" Lily asked as they were cleaning up afterward. "You looked a bit sad before we started eating."

Snape sighed.

_You can hide your feelings from everyone except Lily, it seems. I wonder, is she a Legilimens too?_

"Yes, something was," he said. "My job, or lack thereof."

He sighed again.

"I've been without regular employment since soon after we got married. Every day, you get up to go to work and I'm here by myself, doing nothing. The closest thing to a job I've got is making Potions for the Order or those people who come around wanting a Potion and are willing to pay for it, but that's nothing. I feel so lazy, so useless, like I'm sponging off you and not pulling my weight."

Snape slumped into the Muggle easy chair. Lily came over and knelt beside him.

"Sev, don't fret. The fact you killed Dolohov more than makes up for the income lost when you got fired."

"For awhile," Snape said bitterly. "But how long will the war go on? How long will I be too dangerous to hire?"

He scowled.

"The only times when Father didn't have a job was when there were no jobs to be had. He was a drunk and he was a wanker, but at least he was responsible."

Lily scowled.

"Severus Tobias Snape," she said, steel in her voice. "I don't ever want you comparing yourself to that foul man ever again."

"But it's true! Except for one year when the economy was bad and…"

"Sev, he treated his family horridly! Hell, for all we know, he's still odious to your Mum!"

Snape scowled.

"Perhaps, although he was awfully impressed when he heard about how I killed Dolohov. Maybe he's afraid of me now and can hold his tongue."

_Speaking of killing Death Eaters…_

Snape drew his wand.

_Go to the Knockturn Alley shopkeepers and see if they've noticed any Death Eater activity. Expecto Patronum!_

The silvery-white bat erupted from his wand and sailed through the wall and disappeared.

"In case some Death Eaters head over to Knockturn Alley for supplies," Snape explained. "My biggest financial contribution to our marriage was Dolohov's head on a stick — perhaps lightning can strike twice."

Lily smiled.

"You see? You're not being useless."

"That was awhile ago. What have I done since?"

"The money you brought in killing Dolohov probably exceeded the wages you would have earned in that time."

_That's a good point._

Then the Patronus returned.

"There are two Death Eaters at Jeff Sanders' shop now," it drawled in Snape's own voice. "If you're quick, you can get them."

Snape allowed himself a small smile.

"It seems my prayers have been answered," he said.

He rose to his feet.

"This shouldn't be too difficult. I'll be back…"

Lily shook her head.

"If you're going, I'm going too."

"Are you sure? It hasn't been that long since…"

"Sev," she said firmly. "I'm _fine_."

July 20th, 1979 AD

8:45 PM

Snape and Lily materialized in Knockturn Alley.

"Okay," Snape said. "You stay by the door and keep an eye out for suspicious activity. I'll go in and talk to the owner."

Snape slipped inside. As soon as he was in the door, he noticed two people who had to be the ones his Patronus referred to.

Both of them were male and looked to be a little older than Snape. One was tall and skinny, while the other was shorter and had the beginnings of a gut.

_Both of them are wearing long sleeves in the summer. A bit suspicious, don't you think?_

Snape allowed himself a small smile.

Snape looked to Jeffrey Sanders, who stood behind the counter. He raised an eyebrow.

Sanders nodded.

_Good._

One of the Death Eaters looked in his direction. Snape turned as soon as he saw the movement and made sure the man didn't see his face.

_Thanks to the photo op with Malfoy, your face is well-known. They'd probably recognize you on sight and take precautions. Next time come disguised._

The two Death Eaters made their way towards the door. Snape waited a few seconds and followed after them.

"All right," he whispered to Lily. "I'll use Legilimancy to confirm what the shopkeeper said. When I say 'go,' you grab one and I'll grab the other. You remember where we're Apparating to?"

Lily nodded.

Snape looked at the two of them, who had stopped for a moment.

_Legilimens!_

Neither of the two men had any kind of mental barriers and Snape mentally penetrated first one, than the other. It took all of five seconds to find the memories he needed.

The men kneeling before Voldemort, receiving the Dark Mark.

"Go," he whispered to Lily.

The two men were already looking up. It wouldn't be long until they knew what was going on.

Snape and Lily dashed forward. The two men did not even have time to draw their wands before they'd been grabbed and taken away.

July 20th, 1979 AD

8:50 PM

CRACK! CRACK!

Snape, Lily, and their prey materialized in an empty field Snape had chosen for the purpose. As soon as they arrived, they threw the Death Eaters to the ground and cast anti-Disapparition jinxes.

"What the hell are you doing?" one of the men shouted, drawing his wand.

Snape answered him by Stunning him. Lily tried to Stun the other, but the man managed to cast a Shield charm and deflect the spell.

He wasn't, however, able to Shield himself from Snape. Snape's Stunner caught him in the small of his back and sent him sprawling on the ground.

_These two aren't trained combatants. Probably new inductees._

Lily Petrified both of them.

"To the Ministry?" she asked.

Snape nodded.

July 20th, 1979 AD

9:25 PM

"Good job, both of you," Frank Longbottom said. "The short one was a minor Death Eater — apparently he'd taken the Mark a week ago — but the tall one it turns out had been involved in a Muggle-killing a few weeks back."

Longbottom turned to a minor Ministry official who had accompanied him since Snape and Lily had arrived with two Petrified Death Eaters.

"What's the bounty on Death Eaters these days?"

"Let's see," the little man said. "I think the basic bounty is 30 galleons."

Snape swallowed nervously. He'd spent around that buying off the shopkeeper.

"For Death Eaters who've been involved in killings, it goes up."

The man thought for a moment.

"I think 100 galleons should cover both of them."

Snape sighed in relief.

_Good. My — our — first bounty-hunt and we've made a profit._

The little man snapped his fingers and a bag of gold materialized on the counter next to him. He tossed it to Snape, who quickly pocketed it.

"Keep up the good work," Longbottom said. "Little fish have an alarming tendency to grow into big ones."

Then a Patronus Snape did not recognize — it looked like a badger — scuttled in from another room.

"We've got Death Eater activity in Leeds," it said in a deep man's voice. "Five of them. Looks like a Muggle killing."

Longbottom sighed.

"Duty calls. Good night."

Then he Disapparated. Snape and Lily took that as their cue to do the same.

July 20th, 1979 AD

9:30 PM

"See, Sev?" Lily said soon after they materialized in the sitting room of Spinner's End. "100 galleons. That's a good amount of money."

Snape nodded.

"True."

_100 galleons, for a pair of little fish. I wonder what would happen if we caught some more important people?_

"A good amount of money," Snape said. "And that's only the beginning."

He smiled.

"Shall we celebrate?"

He winked at Lily. Lily slipped her hands around his neck.

"I think we should," she said before she kissed him.

The remainder of the evening went very well indeed.


	72. Babies

**Babies**

By Matthew W. Quinn

**Author's Note:** It seems some people are still not receiving notifications. Here's a policy to follow — check back on my story once per week. I usually write at least a chapter a week, sometimes as many as three.

August 4th, 1979 AD

6 PM

Severus Snape examined the goblet of red wine in his hand.

_To drink or not to drink, that is the question._

On one hand, the lunacy of his bachelor party hadn't triggered any latent genes for alcoholism he might have inherited from his worthless father.

_If all that wine and those boiler-makers don't cause any problems, nothing will._

On the other hand, he did not even want to take the chance. He remembered crying in the corner as Father, drunk and belligerent, ranted and raved and Mum cowered before him.

_Damn him._

He felt the edges of the stein digging into his palm.

_Careful, _he thought as he loosened his grip_. It wouldn't do to break anyone's expensive glassware._

He decided to distract himself from his dark thoughts.

He was standing near the counter of the sitting room of the Order of the Phoenix headquarters. Several other Order members were there too, drinking wine, eating finger foods, and chatting.

_Something tells me within a few years of the war being won, we'll be a wizarding version of the Royal British Legion. We'll sit around the headquarters telling war stories and raising funds for our injured and sick. Perhaps we'll even get involved in politics._

He remembered Father going to such meetings in Manchester and even getting involved in a letter-writing campaign over pension issues.

Snape repressed a frown.

_Why am I always thinking about Father? Tonight I'm supposed to be having fun. Lily certainly is._

He looked over to where Lily Evans Snape, Mary Macdonald Potter, and Remus Lupin were standing and discussing something. All of them had wine goblets in their hands and all of them were laughing.

Snape forced himself to smile.

_Try to be like them._

"Hallo, Sev," John Anderson said as he came in the front door. "How're you doing today?"

"I'm doing all right. Yourself?"

"Doing well," Anderson said. "I'm thinking of applying for a position at a larger firm. Working for Travers and Pirrip's getting a bit dull these days."

Anderson had gotten a job as a law clerk at a small wizarding firm in the West Country soon after graduating from Hogwarts.

"Too much small-town nonsense?"

Anderson nodded.

"Yep. Yesterday I had to help one of the partners with the fifth squabble about the local Quidditch league. Somebody was threatening to sue over being removed from a county meeting by the Department of Magical Law Enforcement after he made a big fuss. Perhaps there are more interesting goings-on at firms in Bristol or Cardiff."

"I would think so," Snape said. "Where do you plan on looking?"

"Probably the legal journals. Maybe the _Prophet_'s classified-ad section will have some jobs, although I doubt they'll have many."

The front door swung open again.

"Hey guys," Kieran Abernethy, an Order member Snape did not know well, said as he came in.

Snape watched Lupin disengage from Lily and Mary to greet the man. He then held the door open as a young woman carrying a baby walked in.

Snape raised an eyebrow.

_I knew Abernethy was married, but I didn't know they'd been married long enough for a kid._

The baby gurgled, noises that Snape knew would attract female attention pronto. As expected, Lily and Mary immediately made a beeline for the baby. Anderson, whose interest in babies seemed a bit odd for a male, soon set off after them.

_Oh boy. Here it comes..._

Although Lily certain loved Hector, he knew what she really wanted wasn't a kitten but a child of her own. Father had told him soon after he and Lily were married to expect her to become very interested in babies.

"Their ovaries become all inflamed," the elder Snape had said. Snape had computed how long Mum and Father had been married before he was born and he figured he was conceived around five or six months after they tied the knot.

_Strange, to imagine them being happy together._

He shook his head.

_You're just agitating yourself, thinking about your parents. Focus on something positive._

His gaze drifted back to the scene by the door. Mary and Mrs. Abernethy were chatting about something, while Anderson hung back, no doubt waiting for the opportunity to administer "the claw" to the infant. Meanwhile, the Abernethy baby had gotten hold of one of Lily's fingers and they were playing an impromptu game of tug-of-war. She was laughing and that warmed Snape's heart.

Snape felt someone clap him on the shoulder and nearly jumped.

"I see Lily's got the baby bug too," James Potter said.

Once upon a time, an ambush by the Gryffindor would have been an occasion for terror and violence. Now, it was just a startle.

_My how times change._

"Yes," Snape replied slowly. "Yes she does."

"Mary's got it too," Potter continued. "I'll bet she'll be even randier than usual tonight."

Snape felt his cheeks redden.

_Did I really need to know that?_

"Given how my parents are doing these days, it may not be such a bad idea to give in. I'd like for them to see their grandchildren —at least the first one — before they die. Last winter was a bad one and when this one comes…"

Potter's face fell. Snape recalled seeing Potter's parents at the wedding, how frail and sickly they looked.

_Hmm…what's the polite thing to say?_

"Understandable."

Potter smiled.

"Thanks."

He looked at Snape

"I'm sorry if this isn't any of my business, but I was wondering if you and Lily…"

Snape reddened and Potter stepped back.

"Oh," he said. "Apologies."

"Not until after the war is over," Snape said. "Which hopefully won't be long, given the losses we've inflicted on the bastards."

Potter nodded quickly.

"Probably a good idea. I'd be inclined to wait myself, if it weren't for my parents being sick."

Potter then set off to join his wife. After a moment, Snape shrugged and followed suite.


	73. Biting Off More Than He Can Chew

**Biting Off More Than He Can Chew**

By Matthew W. Quinn

**Author's Note: **If this is your first time receiving a new-chapter notification in awhile, there are probably earlier chapters you haven't read yet—the notification system has been acting screwy. Of particular importance to this chapter is Chapter 70, "Vow of Vengeance." Also, the "nose and temper" concept came from Sindie's story "The Moment It Began."

August 14th, 1979 AD

10:30 PM

Lily Evans Snape had a trying day at work and had gone to bed early.

_All for the better_, her husband, Severus Snape, thought as he prepared to go out. _Her joining me would not be beneficial to her._

He was going out hunting again and he was hunting Bellatrix Lestrange.

_Time to hunt some really big game. No more ambushing low men and wannabes at the Dark Arts shops and bribing the owners to make up for shrinking their customer base._

He pulled his new dragonhide cloak — made from the hide of a tough old beast, spell-resistant — and hefted the new buckler the goblins had made for him after the last one had been destroyed in the mine.

He hefted his wand to eye level and felt the synergy between it and him, felt the power running through his limbs.

_The evil bitch is going to learn the consequences of messing with the Half Blood Prince and his friends._

He stepped outside, closed the door behind him, looked to be sure there weren't any Muggles about, and Disapparated.

August 14th, 1979 AD

10:35 PM

Snape materialized in Knockturn Alley and quickly ducked into a convenient dooorway.

_Okay. The informant said he spotted a woman who looked a lot like Bellatrix going into Borgin and Burkes._

His dark eyes leaped over to the entryway of the notorious shop.

_If she comes out, I've got a window of opportunity to get her before she Disapparates home. It'll be quick, but I can do it._

He mulled whether or not to grab her and take her somewhere else, like the field he ordinarily took his prey before incapacitating them, straight to the Ministry, where more force could be brought to bear, or simply attacking her in the street.

_Both of them have their advantages. In an isolated area, nobody can come to her defense, but then, nobody can come to mine. If I bring her to the Ministry, Aurors can pounce on her, but then I'd have to split the gold._

He repressed a scowl.

_7,000 galleons. Two years' worth of income from Simmons' shop. You don't want to share that with anyone but Lily._

The door to the shop opened and a tall figure stepped out. Although it wore long, heavy robes and a hood, Snape could see dark hair peeking out from underneath the hood and detect a feminine sway to its walk.

_Got you, you bitch._

The figure walked his way and Snape tensed.

_It'll be too hard to hit the right spots with Sectumsempra. Use the Flesh-Rotting and Bone-Distortion Curses._

Her walk accelerated. She didn't Disapparate away.

Snape lunged.

_Putesco! Os intorqueo!_

The figure whirled and quickly deflected the curses. As she moved, her hood fell back.

"Hallo, ickle Snape," Bellatrix Lestrange leered. "I've been expecting you."

Snape's eyes widened.

_It's a trap!_

Two more Death Eaters jumped out of another storefront, hurling Killing Curses. Snape dodged both of them and an innocent bystander died in his place. Two more Death Eaters emerged from Borgin and Burkes. Bellatrix laughed and Snape felt rage boiling inside.

_Let's see you laugh when I'm done. They won't expect _this.

He ran forward, grabbed her, and Disapparated.

August 14th, 1979 AD

10:40 PM

The two of them materialized in the empty field, Snape on top of Bellatrix. Before he could move to attack, she kneed him in the crotch.

Luckily she didn't make contact with anything sensitive, but by jumping backward, he enabled her to scramble out from under him.

Snape was quickly back on his feet and laid some Anti-Disapparition jinxes.

"Forget these?" Snape hissed. "I didn't."

Bellatrix's only reply was the Killing Curse. Snape dodged to the side and felt its heat as it passed by his face.

_Time to burn._

He brought his hand to his mouth and unleashed the Fiendfyre. He'd been practicing and he liked to think he'd be as good as Trigg at controlling it.

A flaming serpent loomed above Bellatrix and Snape allowed himself a small smile.

_Die!_

The serpent dove straight at Bellatrix. Rather than Shield herself, she hurled another Killing Curse at Snape.

This time, he couldn't jump away. Instead, he brought his metal buckler up and felt the jet of green light slam into it. The force knocked him onto his back and broke his concentration.

The flaming serpent continued its dive, but Bellatrix leaped out of the way and Shielded herself. The Fiendfyre stuck at the protective magic like a cobra and while Bellatrix's robes smoldered, the Shield held.

Snape scrambled to his feet and sought to take advantage of her distraction.

_Sectumsempra!_

Bellatrix ducked under the curse and rushed at Snape, the Fiendfyre in close pursuit.

_Damn and blast. It'll kill both of us. Protego! Protego! PROTEGO!_

Snape cast a series of stationary Shield Charms, to contain the Fiendfyre and direct it away from him. Multiple serpent-heads erupted from boiling Dark Magic, most striking at the protective magic like cobras while others pursued Bellatrix or leaped over the Shield charms to attack Snape.

_You are mine! _

Snape seized control of the serpent-heads that surged towards him and wrestled them to the ground with the sheer force of his will.

_Now kill her!_

The serpent-heads that had menaced Snape now turned their attention to Bellatrix. They surged towards the Death Eater woman.

"Care to surrender?" Snape asked. "You'd make a fine hostage."

_For the new Aurors to practice the Cruciatus Curse on. I so love irony._

Bellatrix laughed.

"Like hell, blood traitor!"

She unleashed a blinding array of Blasting Curses, not at Snape, but into the ground at her feet. She then waved her wand, unleashing a storm of dirt and rock at the oncoming Fiendfyre and at Snape himself.

_Protego!_

The wall of debris slammed into Snape's Shield and blew around the edges. A piece of rock clipped the side of Snape's head and he could feel blood mingling with his hair. In the distance, Snape could see the Fiendfyre continue surging towards Bellatrix. However, the fire grew dimmer.

_The_ Courland Grimoire _said Aguamenti could not douse Fiendfyre. They didn't say anything about burying it alive._

Then Snape saw multiple jets of green light burning their way through the clouds of dirt.

_Depulso! Depulso!_

Snape's magic set the dust clouds roiling, slowing the curses down. He managed to get out of the way, catching the last Killing Curse on his buckler.

This time, the buckler did not shatter. The goblins did their work well, even if they delighted in charging excruciatingly high prices for it.

Then, through the storm of dust, Snape saw a whirling pinwheel of purple light.

_Oh no._

He remembered what Lily had told him, about the curse that cut through Shields and sawed off two of Allen McIntosh's limbs.

The pinwheel came on and Snape made a decision.

_It can cut through a Shield. But what about multiple Shields? Protego! Protego! Protego!_

Snape laid three Shields in its path. The pinwheel quickly cut through two of them, but ground against the third for a few seconds before getting through.

_I can wear the spell out._

Snape cast two more Shield charms, but another Killing Curse flashed through the dust. He was forced to leap out of the way, straight into the pinwheel's path.

_Oh bugger!_

Snape leaped backward, nearly colliding with the Killing Curse. He felt its heat on the back of his head as the pinwheel slashed through his dragonhide cloak and buried itself in the ground.

Snape quickly felt his side and leg.

_No cuts, no damage. I won't end up like Allen._

Then he spotted Bellatrix forcing her way through the clouds of dust.

"Where are you, ickle blood traitor?" she asked. "Are you hurt? Are you _bleeding_?"

_Sectumsempra! Putesco! Os intorqueo! Sectumsempra!_

He aimed his curses at four parts of her body, hoping she would not be quick enough to Shield herself against all of them.

Quick as lightning, Bellatrix deflected three of the four curses. Snape saw blood erupting along her flank, indicating he'd at least gotten a hit in with Sectumsempra.

_Petrificus totalis!_

Unfortunately, Bellatrix deflected that spell too. Her riposte was a storm of Blasting Curses.

_Protego!_

The wave of silvery arrows slammed into Snape's Shield and shattered it. The resulting explosion sent him tumbling into a nearby wood, which the heat of the rampant Fiendfyre had partially ignited. As he skidded beneath the trees, he could feel rocks and branches tear at his clothes and flesh.

Bellatrix cackled as she went in after him.

_I think it's time to go._

He attempted to Disapparate and found he could not.

_Those jinxes have more range than I thought._

"Where are you, blood traitor?"

_Fiendfyre again? The only time I've been winning has been when I used it._

He looked around him, saw the trees and detritus of the wood.

_Bad idea._

Snape decided on another spell.

_Aguamenti!_

His spell sent a torrent of water across the burning ground between himself and Bellatrix. She Shielded herself against the onrushing water, but between that slowing her down and the clouds of steam, Snape was able to scramble deeper into the wood.

Bellatrix came on faster than he anticipated.

"You can't hide from me, Snape!" she called out.

_No, I can't._

He fired a series of Blasting Curses into the trees above her. Broken limbs began to fall and Bellatrix moved to Shield herself against them. Snape took advantage of her distraction to scramble to his feet.

_Got you now. Expelliarmus!_

Her wand leaped away. The branches piled on top of the Shield charm until it gave way. Bellatrix scrambled out of the way, but several of the branches hit her and knocked her down.

_Now!_

Snape lunged, slashing with Sectumsempra. His strikes caught branch, not flesh, and Bellatrix was able to retrieve her wand. She immediately fired a pair of Killing Curses at him.

Snape jumped aside, dodging one of them, and used his buckler to shield his face against the second. The resulting explosion destroyed the bucker and slammed his hand into his face. Snape felt his nose crumple beneath the blow and cried out.

Bellatrix laughed and hurled another Killing Curse. This time, Snape could not dodge. He could only flee or die.

_Hopefully I'm out of range of those jinxes._

Snape Disapparated, Bellatrix's cackling echoing in his ears.

August 14th, 1979 AD

10:50 PM

Snape materialized in the foyer of Spinner's End.

_Hopefully I didn't wake Lily up._

He checked to make sure all of his limbs were in their right places.

Someone gasped behind him and Snape whirled, wand out.

_How could she possibly have…?_

He relaxed when he saw it was Lily, sitting in the easy chair. She was wearing her robe and Hector, not grasping the seriousness of the situation, purred contentedly in her lap.

Her emerald eyes widened as she took in Snape's condition.

"Sev," she gasped.

She jumped to her feet — Hector leaped onto the arm of the chair to avoid ending up on the floor — and rushed over to him. They held each other for a long moment. When they pulled apart, Snape saw his blood on her robe.

"I think we might need to put that in the laundry basket," Snape commented.

"Sev," Lily said. "That's not important now. Where were you? What happened to you?"

"I got a tip from one of my informants about a Death Eater and went to grab her. It didn't end well."

"Her," Lily repeated. Her eyes bulged. "You didn't go after _Bellatrix_, did you?"

_Smart girl._

"Yes, I yes I did. I was expected — my damned informant must've sold me out."

Lily's jaw dropped.

"You went after one of the most powerful Death Eaters, _alone_? Sev, that was insane!"

"Well, what was I supposed to do? Call some other members of the Order out of bed? Call the Ministry and risk her getting away while they debate whether or not to take my tip seriously, thirdhand as it is?"

"Well, you could have at least told me! I'd have gone with you!"

Snape shook his head.

"And risk you getting hurt? Again?"

"Better we both risk getting hurt than you risk getting _killed_!"

Lily shook her head.

"That was reckless, Sev. Reckless and foolish. I never expected a good Slytherin like you to engage in something that, that _Gryffindorish_."

Snape raised an eyebrow at Lily's comment.

_This is amusing, coming from you._

"What's this really about?" she asked. "What she did to me, or your issues with not having a job?"

"Both, actually. She's the reason you have to take Dreamless Sleep most nights to avoid the nightmares. And there's a price on her head, 7,000 galleons. If I brought her down, that'd be two years' worth of income from the job I lost. That way, you wouldn't have to bear the burden alone."

"But I'm not bearing the burden alone. You killed Dolohov and that was a great lot of money there!"

"That is true. But what if the Death Eaters try to do to you what they did to me, and succeed? Then what?"

"Sev, even _if_ I were to lose my job, there are other ways for us to live."

"Like what? Go on the dole?"

He remembered how his family once had to ask the church for food, when Father couldn't get a job as soon as he thought he could. He still felt the shame, even though years had passed.

Lily shook her head.

"You told me that the rich Purebloods like the Malfoys support the younger Death Eaters, so they can train and recruit full-time. Well, we've got rich Purebloods of our own, you know."

Snape felt his heart sink.

"You're saying if we were to run into money problems, we should go to the _Potters_?"

"Why not? They already loaned some money to Remus so he wouldn't have to live in those awful council houses…"

"Great," he said. "We can pretend to be _werewolves_."

Lily scowled.

"It's not his fault he's what he is —"

"I know that, Lily —"

"And in any case, relying on our friends for help is a bloody great better idea than you going out and nearly getting killed over a matter of _pride_."

That stung. But before Snape could open his mouth to shout, he remembered similar circumstances long ago…

September 10th, 1968 AD

4:30 PM

Tobias Snape was sitting in his easy chair, a beer in his hand, when his son returned from spending the afternoon wandering in the nearby woods.

_Uh oh_, Snape thought. _This can't be good._

There had only been one time he could remember Father coming home from work early and drinking. That was when "the mill" had let go half its workers and Father was one of them.

Father had spent the evening drinking beer after beer and started shouting at Mum over something wrong with dinner. Then the Muggle police came and…

"Hallo, Severus," the elder Snape said, voice slightly slurred. "Where've you been?"

"Um, out in the woods."

"That's a good thing for a lad to be doing, playing outside," he said, reaching out and tousling his son's hair. "At least you're not spending all day inside with your Mum and those 'Potions' of hers."

Eileen Prince Snape arrived a second later. She took one look at her husband and grew paler than usual.

"Tobias," she began. "You're home early."

"The mill's closed. Bloody Bangladeshis can work cheaper than we can."

He took another swig of beer.

"Why did we ever let them go? In between bouts of killing each other over some heathen thing or another, they take good British lads' jobs."

He finished his beer and opened another one.

"There are still a few mills left and I think one of 'em's still hiring. Might take awhile to find work, though, since the others've got to deal with the bloody Bangladeshis too…"

"Tobias," Eileen said. "If it will help the family, I can always…"

The elder Snape slammed his beer down.

"No!" he shouted. "I'm your husband, it's my job to provide for the family!"

Eileen flinched at her husband's anger. She breathed in and out before speaking again.

"You don't have to bear this burden alone, Tobias. It…"

"Perhaps I don't _have_ to, but I _should_. It's my responsibility!"

He paused.

"Besides, if you got a job somewhere, who would look after the boy? We can't really leave him with any of my friends — who knows if he'll do something that'll bring in your folk and their memory-manglers…"

"They're called Obliviators," Eileen said stiffly.

"Whatever. The ones who bloody rape minds."

"We could always leave him with one of my friends. It's true I haven't really seen them in awhile, but I'm sure…"

The elder Snape scowled.

"No. I don't want him growing thinking himself better than he ought."

"But in three years…"

"That's school. That's different."

Eileen swallowed.

"You know, among my people, nobody cares if it's the man or the woman who works…"

"But we're _not_ living among your people! We're living among _mine_ and among _mine_, it's shameful thing if it's the woman working and not the man!"

Eileen flinched again.

_No more of this._

Snape turned away from his arguing parents and crept up the stairs to his small bedroom. He pulled his teddy bear close to him and cried, hating Father and the stupid Muggles in general.

August 14th, 1979 AD

11:05 PM

"No!" Snape shouted. He sank down onto the sofa, tears already running down his long nose.

Lily's eyes widened at his shout, but unlike Eileen, she did not flinch.

"Severus," she began, voice hard, before she saw he was crying.

Her voice softened immediately. "Sev," she said, kneeling beside him. "Sev, what's wrong?"

"I nearly," Snape said, voice thick. "I nearly yelled at you." Anger crept into his voice. "Just like he yelled at Mum."

Lily's eyes widened and she took his hand.

"Sev," she said firmly. "Sev, you're _not_ like your father."

"How not?" Snape replied. "I've got his nose, I've got his temper!"

Lily scowled.

"Firstly, unless some St. Mungo's people or I can fix it just right, you don't have his nose anymore. Secondly, as far as his temper is concerned, it's your choice to let it get away from you or not."

_True. I_ can _avoid shouting, if I just_ try. _Father didn't try, or at least he didn't try very hard._

He breathed in and breathed out, trying to calm himself down. Gradually, the anger and frustration boiling in his chest sank down to manageable levels.

"Yes," he said. "Yes I can."

Lily smiled.

"Good."

She squinted, looking at his face, and shook her head.

"It's worse than I thought."

She reached out and touched his nose. Pain erupted and Snape stiffened, repressing a scream.

Lily scowled and gestured with her wand. Snape felt his nose immediately go numb.

"There's a spell I learned from one of my friends at the office. It resets broken bones. Sit still."

Snape obeyed and Lily made a series of gestures and incantations. Snape could see — but not feel — his nose twisting as it put itself back together.

Lily smiled.

"It's all better now."

She transfigured a small patch of the sofa into a mirror. Snape leaned over and his jaw dropped.

_Holy Mary, it's back to normal._

Although "normal" in this case was still "unattractively large," that was an improvement over the mangled mess it had been earlier.

Snape smiled.

"Thanks, Lily."

"Now that's done, fixing the rest shouldn't be that difficult."

"I can help you with that," he said. He got up, removed what was left of the dragonhide cloak and the upper layer of clothes, and the two of them set to healing his various wounds.

"Good," Lily said when they were done. "All better."

Snape looked down.

"Thanks."

Lily smiled.

"Good."

Then her expression hardened.

"Sev," she said. "Sev, I don't want you going off and doing something like that again alone. Just tell me and I'll go with you, gladly."

"But I don't think…"

"Sev, we're both soldiers. I know what she did to me upset you, but I've fought and killed Death Eaters. Hell, I went with you on two of your hunts."

"I don't intend to go hunting again for awhile," Snape said. "Once Gunderson finds out I survived, he'll probably flee to the Death Eaters. I'm going to have to check on all of my informants, make sure the Death Eaters haven't suborned anymore of them."

He scowled.

"Which means my bounty-hunting career has just been short-circuited."

He reached down and picked up the day's copy of the _Daily Prophet_, which he'd left on the table.

_Been too busy today to check. Perhaps there's something good here._

He opened it to the classified ads section. His dark eyes leaped down to the "Help Wanted" page.

_Oh my_, he thought. _This looks interesting._


	74. A New Position

**A New Position**

By Matthew W. Quinn

**Author's Note: **A member of one of my message-boards has decided to try his hand at Harry Potter AU fanfic. Everyone go check out "The Tribulations of Cornelius Fudge," in which Crouch Jr. doesn't get his soul sucked out and the Second War begins a year early. It's on my Favorites list.

August 18th, 1979 AD

9:40 AM

Severus Snape materialized in an alleyway in Bristol.

_Bristol. Why am I always coming back here?_

He looked at his watch.

_Twenty minutes before the interview. Don't dawdle._

He'd been unemployed for around four months and he did not want to mess this one up.

_A company specializing in defense against the Death Eaters. One of the few sectors in the economy these days that's doing well._

His dark eyes jumped to the small door set beside a Muggle dumpster. Wrinkling his nose at the smell, he made his way over.

August 18th, 1979 AD

10 AM

"We're so glad you could make it today, Severus," Bryan Robinson, the owner of the company, said. "We've reviewed your C.V. and done our background check and we like what we see."

Snape raised an eyebrow.

_Background check?_

"Oh, we don't just hire anyone," Robinson continued. "We checked with your references and even some people we thought might know you."

_Ah. Makes sense._

"So, tell us about your specific areas of expertise."

"Well," Snape began. "I am proficient in curses, not only the ones taught in the standard Defense Against the Dark Arts curriculum at Hogwarts, but also the curses taught at Durmstrang. I invented Sectumsempra — a slashing spell — when I was sixteen. I am one of the few people alive who know how to use the spell and to reverse its effects."

Robinson nodded.

"Very well. How did you put this experience to use?"

"As a fighter, primarily. When I was at school, I had enemies, both in Gryffindor and, later, in my own House. I taught Sectumsempra to several Slytherin who did not wish to join the Death Eaters and to some of my friends in Ravenclaw who were interested in learning a new war-spell. I have used it many times against Death Eaters in battle. I also took it upon myself to learn to control Fiendfyre."

"Teaching others Dark Magic?"

_Do you have a problem with that?_

"I like that. These days, with the Death Eaters everywhere, we've got to fight fire with fire."

Snape relaxed.

"They tell me that during your early years as a student, you were friends with many students who would one day become Death Eaters. Is this true?"

Snape felt a chill slithering up his spine.

"Yes, sir, it is. I did not have many friends outside of my own House at the time and they were the most popular kids in Slytherin."

Robinson nodded.

"Do you think you would know how these friends of yours think, how they operate?"

Snape nodded.

"Yes. Michael Mulciber isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer, but he's got a sort of low cunning. I suspect people underestimate him. Evan Rosier is malicious, with a tendency to hold grudges."

"That sounds about right. How would you recommend defending against them?"

Snape thought for a moment.

"Avoid attracting Rosier's notice if possible. If you do, never, _ever_ let your guard down. He's got a powerful patron among the Death Eaters, so he's probably getting stronger and more skilled every day. If you're more powerful than he is, he might find something else to do for awhile, but the moment you show any weakness, he'll be back."

Snape swallowed.

"I've also met Bellatrix Lestrange, on both social and…less social…occasions. She's a right scary one, goes from cold to homicidally mad in a second. I've faced her alone and I'm one of the few who's come away alive."

Robinson raised an eyebrow.

"That's impressive. How did you manage that?"

"Fiendfyre, using a metal shield to deflect the Killing Curse, and using multiple Shield Charms against that new curse she's been using."

_What else have you done?_

"I've also worked with Arthur Weasley, integrating Muggle and wizarding weaponry. At a recent battle, we used Muggle mortars — small artillery pieces. We replaced their poisons with Garroting Gas, to drive the Death Eaters into our killing zone."

Robinson's grin widened, to the point Snape found it a little unsettling.

"Excellent," he said. "I think we've found the right candidate."

_Me?_

"Yes, you, Mr. Snape. I've got to talk it over with the others, but the chance of someone else getting the position is slight. Congratulations."

_That's pretty quick. Still, it's best not to look a gift horse in the mouth._

The man paused.

"Do you have any questions?"

Snape thought back to how he lost his job at the Apothecary, how Lily had been hurt by the Death Eater bombing of the Charms research facility.

"How well defended against possible Death Eater attack is this place?"

Robinson smiled.

"Well, for starters, it's in the middle of Muggle Bristol, so it might be difficult for wizards with less experience in the Muggle world to find. We also have extensive magical defenses, wards and traps."

His smile grew wider.

"And an additional line of defense, where you come in."

His tone and expression made Snape worry.

"How so?"

"One of our employees — the man whose place you're taking actually — left a few days ago, but this hasn't become widely known."

The man reached into the pocket of his robes and pulled out a bag of hair.

"We've got substantial stocks of Polyjuice Potion, to help those who are being specifically targeted by Death Eaters. Owing to the fact the Death Eaters are after you personally, it is in our interest for you to disguise yourself as him for the time being."

Snape repressed his jaw from dropping.

_Always a catch, isn't there?_

"Of course, he's got a new job with a larger consulting firm, so people will figure out he's left our employ soon enough. We'll have to find someone else for you to Polyjuice into once that happens."

He paused.

"Given this situation, we won't be sending you out to talk to local communities and businesses about how they can defend themselves against Death Eaters. Your job will be to stay here and troubleshoot the plans other consultants come up with."

_So basically, you keep me holed up in here disguised as someone else while other people get credit for my ideas?_

Snape nearly said something harsh and unpleasant for that. However, not wanting to lose his chance at a new job, he held his tongue.

_Of course, if I'm the one troubleshooting other people's plans, that means I have a fair bit of power._

He repressed his usual smile.

_That could be useful. However, I still don't like it._

"How long will I have to do this?"

"Until the Dark Lord falls, Severus, until the Dark Lord falls. Don't worry, your paycheck will still be in your name. Speaking of paychecks, how does 3,000 galleons a year sound?

_Wow. That's a lot more than I made with Simmons._

"That sounds very good," Snape said.

Robinson smiled.

"When can you start?"

_Hmm…I suppose I could start right now, although they might have me out until late if they've got a lot of work. I'd like to break the news to Lily in person._

"Is tomorrow all right?"

Robinson nodded. "It is. Welcome to our company."

He reached out and, after a moment, Snape shook his hand.

As Snape made his way back to the front door, he wondered just how he would break the good news to Lily.

August 18th, 1979 AD

6 PM

"Hallo, Sev," Lily Evans Snape said as she came in the front door. "How did your interview go?"

"Very well," he replied. "Within fifteen minutes, I got the job."

Lily grinned. She dropped her bag and all but pounced on him. She hugged him and kissed him several times.

"Excellent, Sev, excellent!"

She grinned mischievously and Snape could feel her hands sliding lower.

"How do you propose we celebrate?"

"I can tell what's on your mind already," Snape said, his smile matching hers. "But how about I tell you the job over dinner first? My salary's going to be 3,000 galleons a year, so I'm feeling a bit rich. If we want Muggle fare, there's that San Rocco place up in Cheetham Hill, but if you feel like wizarding food might be better, we can go down to Diagon Alley and see what's new."

"Sounds good to me."


	75. Sacking the Manor

**Sacking the Manor**

By Matthew W. Quinn

**Author's Note: **Those who are having trouble getting notifications should check out the main page of the site for the recent news. Apparently certain e-mail servers are automatically putting notifications in the spam boxes. Also, the concepts of wizarding pregnancy tests and Dementors at Malfoy Manor come from Sindie's story "The Moment It Began."

September 10th, 1979 AD

6:30 PM

"Ready?" Severus Snape asked Arthur Weasley.

The red-haired man nodded.

"Ready when you are."

Snape nodded.

"Then let the wild rumpus start."

Snape, Weasley, and the two Ministry employees Weasley had brought with him began loading and firing the Muggle mortars. Soon, a rain of explosive and Garroting Gas shells rained down on Malfoy Manor.

_Crash-crash-crash-crash-crash-crash-crash-crash._

As they had during the assault on the Death Eater propaganda facility, the high-explosive shells shattered the roof and walls, enabling the shells loaded with Garroting Gas to penetrate the house.

Beneath them, Snape could see the members of the Order of the Phoenix rising on their brooms to overleap the fence surrounding the elegant home.

_Good idea, to go in airborne. There's no way to know what kind of traps Lucius has set up to protect his family and home._

The Order lay anti-Disapparition jinxes all around the mansion, took up positions, and waited for the Death Eaters inside — if indeed, there were any — to come boiling out, choking on the gas and vulnerable to immediate attack.

Nobody came out.

_Perhaps they're all in there choking to death and unable to find a way out. Or perhaps nobody's home._

Either way, thanks to information the captive Justin Avery was all too willing to dish out on his "friends," they had the legal paperwork in place to raid Malfoy Manor. Apparently the Death Eaters had used it as a base and a prison and depriving them of that would hurt them.

_Of course, if they got word of what was happening and evacuating the place, we'd have burned all that political capital for nothing._

Then things started happening very fast. Curses erupted from the windows, both the Killing Curse and some kind of explosive spell Snape had never seen before that blew riders off their brooms.

_Damn and blast!_

Lily was among the Order members who flew in on brooms. Snape looked for red hair and didn't see anything. He felt the urge to rush forward and join the fray.

However, duty prevented him. He turned to Weasley.

"How many more explosive shells do we have?"

Weasley examined the Muggle military crate.

"I think around four or five. We do have some more gas…"

"The gas doesn't seem to be working. If Longbottom orders a retreat, use the rest of the explosive shells."

_Then you go down there with Trigg and unleash the Fiendfyre. That should solve the problem nicely._

Snape saw some kind of hidden chamber opening on the lawn below the swarming Order members.

_What the devil?_

A huge wolf emerged from the chamber. Snape's eyes leaped upward, to the full moon.

_It's a werewolf. The Malfoys have werewolves on their property._

Fear slithered up and down his spine and he felt hairs rising on the back of his neck as he remembered what nearly happened in the Shrieking Shack, so long ago.

Other chambers opened and more werewolves emerged. Snape saw an Order member — a man he did not recognize — blasted off his broom. He fell and two werewolves caught him and ripped into him before he hit the ground.

Snape looked to the crate of high-explosive shells.

_Perhaps that will cramp their style._

Snape saw a stream of fire erupting from one of the Order flyers. He saw animal-forms amidst the flames as they rushed down and consumed the two werewolves and the man they'd attacked.

_If he had survived, he'd have been a werewolf. Death may have been merciful._

Still, the fact that Trigg — it had to be Trigg, unless other members of the Order were learning Fiendfyre as well — did not care about collateral damage from his attacks troubled Snape slightly.

_What good is it to win if there aren't any of us left to enjoy our victory?_

Snape could see two more werewolves rushing about beneath the flying Order members. Another member of the attacking force — he wore the robes of a member of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, so he might not have even been an Order member — fell off his broom.

This time, he landed far from the werewolves. He scrambled away and fired curses at them, but they dodged his attacks and lunged.

He put his wand under his chin and blew his head apart with the Blasting Curse before they could get to him.

Snape saw fire blooming among the Order flyers and saw flaming animals bounding onto the roof or crashing through the windows.

_Perhaps Trigg will burn Malfoy Manor down. Then we won't have to lose any more people._

Snape saw a flaming body tumble from a window, but the upper floors of the manor did not go up.

_Perhaps Malfoy has spelled the building to resist magical attack? This could explain why neither the gas nor the Fiendfyre is working._

The Order flyers began retreating in stages, one group staying behind to cast Shield charms and lay suppressing fire on the manor's defenders.

Snape turned to Weasley.

"Once the last of them get clear, we're going to start shelling the house again."

Weasley nodded.

The Order pulled back, with the Aurors using the Killing Curse to finish off the last of the werewolves.

"Now!" Snape shouted.

The last shells were loaded into the mortars and four more explosions crowned the roof of Malfoy Manor.

One of mortars, however, did not fire.

"What the bloody hell?" Weasley asked. He leaned forward to look down in the tube.

_No!_

Snape seized Weasley by the collar with his left hand and yanked him back. With his right hand, he made a series of gestures encasing the mortar in a Shield.

A second later, the entire weapon exploded. The sphere turned white, but held.

"The Muggle part of the war is done with. Time for magic."

Snape grabbed his own broom and flew over to join the attackers, with Weasley following along. The Ministry employees, not Order members or particularly trained in combat, Disapparated away.

As Snape approached the Order formation, he looked for his wife. Lily Evans Snape floated near the front of the formation, her emerald eyes locked onto the manor, and he flew over to her.

"Place is a bloody fortress, Sev," she said. "Trigg used Fiendfyre on it, but it didn't seem to catch."

Frank Longbottom and Arnold Trigg floated up to meet Snape.

"The Muggle weapons didn't work this time," the Auror said. "Looks like the Death Eaters have adapted. Probably set charms to absorb the gas."

"And Fiendfyre had only limited effect," Trigg said. "People will burn, but the building wont."

Snape thought for a moment.

"Perhaps they figured out a way to contain the Fiendfyre. However, if we crack open the building, we can find ways around that."

"Good idea," Longbottom said. "Beats the alternative — we take the place by storm."

Snape's heart sank at the thought. If they did that, Lily would be at the front of the attack and probably would not survive.

"Try massed Blasting and Reductor Curses," Snape said. "Trigg and I can introduce the Fiendfyre through the roof. It's pretty mashed up due to the shelling."

Longbottom nodded.

"You two do that."

Trigg and Snape rose in the air above the main Order mass and its protective enchantments. As they did, the defenders within the house opened fire on them.

"Now!" Trigg shouted.

The two of them flew in — Snape holding on for dear life — over Malfoy Manor. Through the massive gaps in the shattered roof, they could see black-clad Death Eaters and a large number of surprisingly normal-looking people.

_So few Death Eaters. I was expecting more._

Then Trigg unleashed the Fiendfyre and Snape did the same. Two torrents of flame surged through the holes in the roof and down into the upper floors of the house.

Snape watched as the hooded Death Eaters scrambled away from the flames and the normal-looking people crowded into the halls behind them. The fiery animals burned through them, but lacked the power to go much further.

_Have they got a lot of people under Imperio?_

Snape was no soft-heart, but the notion of using that many people as human shields made him somewhat queasy.

Then he took a closer look at one of the normal-looking people. The man walked willing into the cursed fire and was reduced to a slurry of ash and bone in a few seconds, but before the fire consumed him, Snape saw the man's head hung at an unnatural angle.

_The man's neck is broken. That's an Inferius._

The Fiendfyre continued stalking through the manor, burning through Inferi and the occasional Death Eater as it did so.

"Now!" Trigg called out to Longbottom. "They're away from the windows!"

The white light generated by dozens of Blasting Curses nearly blinded Snape. Although blotches of green and purple covered much of his vision, he saw the wave of curses cracking open the manor in several places.

_If the manor's spelled to resist magic, it certainly wasn't spelled enough._

"Forward!" Longbottom shouted. The Order charged.

Snape saw several Death Eaters and their undead servants rushing toward the breaches. He focused on the remaining Fiendfyre and though it took all of the concentration he was not expending staying atop his broom, he managed to bend it to his will.

_Stop them!_

The burning animals moved to intercept the Death Eaters and Inferi. Many Inferi and two Death Eaters died, forcing the remainder to retreat. Snape sent the dying remnants of the Fiendfyre after them, to enable the Order to enter the building safely.

Then he and Trigg dove down to join them.

September 10th, 1979 AD

6:45 PM

Snape landed on the shattered second floor behind the primary Order attack force, which was spreading out through the mansion.

_All right_, he thought as he looked around. _Lots of dead Inferi and a few dead Death Eaters. I wonder if the second floor is clear?_

A female laugh that filled Snape with dread suddenly stabbed at his ears.

"Why if it isn't the ickle half-breed Mudblood snogger," Bellatrix Black Lestrange cackled. "You dare invade my sister's home?"

Bellatrix charged towards him behind a trio of Inferi.

_Fiendfyre would be highly useful, but there are too many Order people around. Incendio! Incendio! Incendio!_

Snape's curses ignited all three Inferi. Bellatrix hurled the Killing Curse at him before he could knock the Inferi down.

Snape dodged the jet of green light and hurled several Reductor Curses. Two of the Inferi exploded, showering Bellatrix and himself with chunks of flesh that, mercifully, had been somehow prevented from rotting.

The third Inferius lunged and sank its teeth into his shoulder.

_Why do they always do that?_

Snape brought his wand to the side of the Inferius's head and fired the Reductor Curse, decapitating it. The creature left a couple of teeth embedded in his shoulder but he could deal with that later.

He felt the flames on the creature's clothes and knew he couldn't deal with that later.

_Confringo!_

His curse sent the decapitated Inferius flying at Bellatrix. Bellatrix casually swatted it away, sending it flying out the window.

_Sectumsempra! Sectumsempra! Sectumsempra!_

Bellatrix deflected two of Snape's three slashes. The last one cut deep into her upper thigh. She cried out, murder in her eyes, and hurled the Killing Curse again.

_Depulso!_

Snape hurled a chair into the path of the curse. The chair exploded, showering both of them in splinters.

Then another curse flew at Bellatrix from the side.

"Hallo, bitch," Allen McIntosh said. "Remember me?"

Bellatrix deflected his curse into the wall.

"Yes I do, blood traitor."

Quick as lightning, she hurled the Killing Curse at him. McIntosh brought up a gleaming bronze hand and caught the curse on it. The resulting explosion sent him flying.

"A bit anti-climactic, that," Bellatrix commented. She grinned. "Now where were we?"

She lunged, firing curses at Snape. Snape deflected and dodged as many as he could, but one caught him on the leg and knocked him onto his stomach. Bellatrix lunged again, but Snape fired a curse that rocked her back on her heels.

As she staggered back, she spun on her heel and fired a curse at someone Snape could not see.

_Looks like Allen isn't out of the game yet._

Snape fired a curse at her unguarded back, only for her to spin and deflect it. She then hurled her purple-pinwheel curse.

He rolled to the side and the whirling purple pinwheel of light slashed through the floor where he'd been, cutting a foot deep into the floorboard. He felt it take the tip of his right shoe and a bit of toe along with it.

Snape then fired a curse at Bellatrix's feet. The resulting explosion sent her tumbling, buying him time to get up. He slashed with Sectumsempra, but she rolled out of the way and his curse only scarred the floorboards.

McIntosh and Snape both lunged, trying to pin Bellatrix between them. She moved like a sinuous cobra, dodging their curses and unleashing some of her own. She hurled the Killing Curse at Snape and although he managed to get out of the way, the curse hit the wall and dislodged a large mirror.

The mirror fell on top of Snape, momentarily pinning him. Bellatrix loomed over him, glee in her mad eyes.

"Back off!" Lily cried out and Bellatrix spun, Shielding herself against a wave of flames. Lily's fiery attack bloomed over her blue-white Shield and Snape could feel the heat of it through his robes.

_Go Lily!_

Snape scrambled out from beneath the mirror and joined the many-on-one attack on Bellatrix. The four of them whirled throughout the upstairs hallway, leaving the stonework cracked and the floorboards burning.

Lily managed to knock Bellatrix down, but the evil witch unleashed the Killing Curse. Lily leaped back, enabling her to fire a Blasting Curse that hit Snape in the gut and knocked the wind out of him.

McIntosh slashed with Sectumsempra, but Bellatrix managed to deflect it, then quickly deflected another curse from Lily.

Bellatrix scowled.

"Next time, blood traitors and filth!"

She grabbed hold of a painting on the wall and vanished.

"Portkey," McIntosh said. "They must've set up an alternate means of escape since we laid those jinxes."

_Damn and blast. Let's hope they don't have many._

"Oi!" someone shouted from downstairs. "We need some help down here!"

Snape, Lily, and McIntosh descended an ornate stairway into a massive melee near the front door. The vaulted entryway of the manor was a kaleidoscopic slaughterhouse where Order members and Death Eaters tore at each other, with the bodies — both those who died for the first time that night and those dead for the second time — piling up between them.

_Putesco! Putesco! Os intorqueo! Sectumsempra!_

Snape's curses caught four Death Eaters by surprise. Three of them fell and one staggered back, blood pouring from a chest wound.

Lily went into action too, pouring a torrent of flame into a mass of Inferi, while McIntosh slashed away with Sectumsempra.

The Order pushed forward into the weakened Death Eater line, breaking it. The black-robed figures began to flee, using the Inferi to buy them time.

By the time Snape, his wife, and his friend got to the ground floor, the remaining Inferi had been put down and the Order members were fanning out, hunting for their fleeing foes.

"Snape, Macdonald!" Longbottom abruptly ordered. "There's some kind of secret passage in the drawing room. Check it out and be sure some of the wankers aren't using it as a bolt-hole."

Snape remembered Malfoy bragging about the secret passages in the manor and allowed himself a small smile.

Then he realized what following Longbottom's orders would entail.

_You want me to leave Lily alone while Bellatrix is on the loose somewhere?_

"Sev, don't worry," Lily said, obviously deducing his reluctance. "I'll be fine."

Snape repressed a scowl.

"All right," he said.

He set off after Mary Macdonald Potter who, in a typically Gryffindorish fashion, had already set off towards the drawing room. They quickly found the blown-open passageway.

"Clear a path first," Snape said.

Mary nodded. Both of them fired curses down the staircase, to deal with anyone who might be waiting.

They descended the stairs. Suddenly, Mary cried beside him.

"What's going…" he said before he felt the unnatural cold surrounding him.

_Dementor!_

Snape felt his darkest memories emerging from his subconscious. He remembered Father shouting at Mum, he remembered Lily rushing to Potter that night on the battlements, he remembered seeing Lily fall, thinking her dead, that night at the Muggle concert.

_No._

He called forth his happiest thoughts, but found them slipping through his fingers. Instead, he saw Ian Jewell fall through the trees and die before Snape could heal him, saw John Anderson weeping uncontrollably as Amanda Green's ashes were scattered on the Thames.

Below them, Snape could see a gray, skeletal figure rising up the stairs, reaching out towards him with a bony hand…

Luckily, Mary had kept her head on her shoulders. She stabbed with her wand and a blue-white flamingo emerged. The magical bird rushed forward and kicked the Dementor in what would have been, were the creature male, a very sensitive place. The Dementor recoiled, sliding back down the stairs.

Snape tried to call up his happiest thoughts. He remembered spinning with Lily in the fields when they were children and even as teens, he remembered kissing her at their wedding and much more fiercely that night…

_EXPECTO PATRONUM!_

His Patronus, weak but still corporeal, erupted from his wand and dove straight at the Dementor. The two supernatural animals drove the dark thing off the steps. Snape and Mary followed close behind, down into the dungeon.

A chorus of moans and weak cries greeted them. Snape looked and saw several prisoners, some of them appearing reasonably healthy except for bruises and others looking starved and gaunt. Serpentine chains bound them to the wall.

"Severus," Mary said, yanked Snape's attention to her. "Your Patronus is weaker than mine. Send it to Longbottom. Tell him that we've got a Dementor down here. Perhaps the darn thing will recognize him as an Auror."

Resentment flickered in Snape's heart at Mary's attempt to order him around, but he intellectually recognized the wisdom of her plan. He looked to his Patronus, which had joined Mary's in trapping the Dementor in the corner.

_Fetch Longbottom. Tell them they've got a Dementor down here._

The bat flitted up the stairs. The Dementor tried to lunge, but Mary's Patronus stabbed at it with its beak and it stayed trapped in the corner.

A moment later, a blue-white tiger bounded down between them. It parked itself in front of the Dementor and began speaking in Longbottom's voice.

"This is Frank Longbottom, an Auror. You recognize me. Consider your orders to protect the Malfoy property terminated. Return to Azkaban."

The Patronus then turned to Snape and Mary.

"Once it receives this message, let it pass."

Both of them nodded and Mary pulled her Patronus back, keeping it close. The Dementor floated past them and up the stairs.

"All right," Snape said, wanting to get a word in edgewise this time. "Time to get them out of here."

He and Mary went to work, using an Incendiary Charm to weaken the chains and then the Reductor Curse to smash the weakened metal. Soon all of the prisoners had been detached from the wall.

"You don't have any chocolate on you, perchance?" Mary asked. "That'll help get them moving."

"Why yes, I always carry chocolate on my person on the off-chance we encounter creatures that are ordinarily restricted to Azkaban."

Mary frowned.

"Now is not the time for sarcasm, Severus."

She turned to the healthier-looking prisoners.

"Help us move the ones who're sick," she ordered.

Between Snape, Mary, and the prisoners who recovered once the Dementor had gotten away from them, they were able to get everyone into the drawing room.

"All right," Snape said. "I'll go see what's going on."

He stepped out of the drawing room into the hallway, only to almost run into a group of wizards led by Trigg.

"Come on," he demanded, all but grabbing hold of Snape. "The Malfoys are fleeing. They went this way."

September 10th, 1979 AD

6:55 PM

Snape left the prisoners with Mary and pursued the fleeing Malfoys along with Trigg, the other wizards from Law Enforcement, and the Auror John Dawlish.

_You're mine, Lucius._

His angry thoughts at his former friend and mentor surprised him. Still, Lucius had assaulted him and threatened him and his parents, so he had to die.

He saw the Malfoys round a corner. He let Trigg and some of his men pull ahead as they rounded the corner, just in case the Malfoys managed to get a drop on them.

That they did. Several animated suits of armor lunged at them, with their master and mistress using them as shields while they hurled curses at their pursuers.

_Confringo! Reducto! Confringo!_

Snape and Trigg battered down the animated armor — Snape barely dodged a swing from a battle-axe as one fell — and Trigg managed to shield them both from a storm of curses the Malfoys unleashed.

The law enforcement wizards retaliated with a wave of Stunners.

_They trying to take him alive? Bad idea._

Malfoy fired several Killing Curses at his pursuers. One spell caught a man in the chest, killing him before his body hit the ground. The others managed to get out of the way, before retaliating with Blasting Curses and Reductor.

One curse hit Narcissa and sent her flying. Malfoy retaliated with the Killing Curse, killing another law enforcement wizard. Malfoy rushed over to his wife and pulled her to his feet.

The Order members unleashed a wave of curses, but the Malfoys quickly Shielded themselves. Narcissa stabbed twice with her wand and a pair of whirling pinwheels of purple light tore down the hallway.

She's been taking lessons from her sister.

One man went down, the spell relieving him of a fair bit of his right arm, right leg, and side.

"Look after him," Dawlish ordered another law enforcement wizard. He then set off after the Malfoys, Trigg and Snape trailing after him.

The Malfoys quickly turned the corner. Dawlish, Snape, and Trigg rushed after them. Snape allowed Dawlish to take the lead, in case of another ambush.

There wasn't one. The room — a small library — was empty.

"Where'd the hell they go?" Dawlish said.

Snape's dark eyes swept the room. He noticed a gap between two bookshelves and narrowed his eyes.

_That gap looks awfully dark to be a wall. Reducto!_

Snape's curse shattered the bookcase, revealing a hidden passageway. Dawlish, Trigg, and Snape hurled additional curses into the entrance of the tunnel, then leaped in.

Ahead of them, Snape could see the Malfoys. Dawlish stabbed with his wand and Narcissa fell, stiff as a board.

_That ought to slow them down._

Malfoy wheeled on Dawlish and hurled the Killing Curse. Dawlish dodged and Malfoy used the moment to un-Petrify his wife. She hurled the purple-pinwheel curse at Snape and Trigg as her husband and the Auror fought.

_It'll be hard to dodge in a confined space._

"Shields! Lots of Shields!" he called out to Trigg.

The two of them laid several Shield Charms. The pinwheel sawed through them, not slowing down.

_Not good._

Trigg hurled a curse at the wall. Brick and dirt poured into the path of the oncoming curse, stopping it flat.

Trigg vaulted over the debris, only to catch a Blasting Curse from Narcissa on the chest.

_She should have used the Killing Curse_, Snape thought as he leaped over Trigg.

He landed on his feet on the other side of the debris pile just in time for Malfoy to fire a Blasting Curse below Dawlish's Shield into the ground at his feet. The resulting explosion sent Dawlish tumbling onto the debris pile.

Malfoy moved to curse Snape but Trigg was up again. Instead of cursing Snape, Malfoy had to Shield against Trigg's attack while Narcissa rushed down the tunnel. After a moment, Malfoy fled while Narcissa cast a Shield Charm to protect him.

Snape spotted where they were going — a door that probably led out.

_CONFRINGO!_

Narcissa's Shield was positioned to protect her husband, not the door. The resulting explosion shattered the ceiling ahead of them and falling stonework cut off the Malfoys' escape route. Undaunted, Malfoy cast a spell of some kind onto a torch on the wall. He grabbed for his wife at the same time as he grabbed for the torch.

_He's probably made it a Portkey! Confringo!_

Snape's spell didn't blast the torch away from Malfoy as he planned. The spell instead blew the two Malfoys apart. Malfoy grabbed the torch and was gone, but Narcissa tumbled into a corner.

Her eyes widened with terror for a moment upon finding herself alone, but she quickly steeled herself.

She raised her wand. Snape was faster.

_Expelliarmus._

Her wand leaped away and landed at Snape's feet.

"Good job," Trigg said, coming up beside him. He raised his wand. "It's time to end this."

Snape raised an eyebrow.

_Lucius may have turned on me over Lily, but Narcissa never said anything unkind to me. Ever._

He wondered if personal concerns were worth fighting another Order member over, but Narcissa interrupted.

"No," she begged, suddenly humble. "Please, no. I'm…"

"How many do you suppose begged your husband for mercy?" Trigg demanded. "I wonder how much mercy he gave them?"

"No!" Narcissa screamed. "I'm…I'm pregnant!"

Snape repressed his jaw from dropping.

_This is a bit of surprise. Of course, she and Lucius have been married for quite awhile, so this makes sense._

Of course, she could be lying to save her life.

_Only one way to find out! Legilimens!_

Snape dove into Narcissa's mind, shoving aside the mental barriers as she tried to erect them.

He saw her mixing a potion and nicking her finger with a needle. She let the drop of blood fall into the potion and watched intently as it changed color.

"Lucius!" she cried out. "Lucius, come quickly!"

Snape retreated from her mind. Narcissa was telling the truth. Despite its parentage, the child growing inside Narcissa was innocent.

Snape turned to Trigg.

"I used Legilimency. She's telling the truth."

Trigg looked at Snape, eyes seething.

"So?"

"You kill her, you're killing her child too. Do you want blood on your hands?"

Trigg snorted.

"I don't care if I've got blood on my hands, provided it's Death Eater blood. I wonder how much terror and murder her dowry funded?"

"Her child is not a Death Eater, Arnold."

Trigg stepped forward.

"Is it worth fighting over, Snape?"

_The little ingrate. I taught him the Dark Magic that's making him strong._

Snape stepped forward, keeping an eye on Narcissa. She made no attempt to go for her wand.

_Clever woman._

"I think it is, _Trigg_. Remember who taught you the Dark Magic?"

Trigg smiled, a distinctly unsettling sight.

"Perhaps the student has exceeded the teacher."

Snape felt a chill slithering up his spine.

_He learned to control Fiendfyre first. He's also a trained Law Enforcement agent. He might well exceed you._

Then an idea occurred to Snape.

_If I get him off-balance, he might not be an effective combatant._

"Tell me, Arnold. What do you think Marlene would think, if she were here?"

Trigg's eyes bulged.

"You son of a bitch!" Trigg snarled. "I ought to…"

Behind them, Dawlish rose to his feet

"You got one of them? Good job," he said.

_Good. Dawlish will keep this jackass under control._

"Just Narcissa," Trigg said. "Lucius got away."

"Not for long. Perhaps Mrs. Malfoy would make good bait."

Dawlish turned to Narcissa. "Up," he ordered, gesturing with his wand.

Narcissa rose, her movements looking like she was a puppet being manipulated on strings.

_Dawlish is using Imperius. I wonder if that would affect the child._

Snape figured it would not. The Imperius Curse only affected the brain, so logically speaking, the child should be safe.

However, Snape worried.

"Sir," he said. "She told us she was pregnant."

Dawlish raised an eyebrow.

"And you believed her? You're a Slytherin too, you should be adept at recognizing liars."

Fury began bubbling in Snape's heart.

"I used Legilimency. She's telling the truth."

"So he says," Trigg said.

"He's used Legilimency before, in front of me," Dawlish said. "I trust him."

Trigg mumbled something disgruntled under his breath.

"Come along, you two."

As Trigg and Snape made their way out of the devastated manor, Snape kept a dark eye on the other man.

_Trigg could be a bit of a problem._


	76. Riots

**Riots**

by Matthew W. Quinn

September 24th, 1979 AD

12:25 PM

For months now, the Order of the Phoenix had held the initiative, striking at the Death Eaters again and again. Although some were already talking about the end of the war, Snape was suspicious.

_If they're not talking, they're plotting_, Severus Snape thought, remembering the old Slytherin maxim. The Dark Lord was probably up to something.

Of course, it was Dumbledore's job to look at the big picture. Snape's job was to come up with clever ideas and to fight.

And, of course, during the day, he had to troubleshoot others' plans.

He returned his attention to the list of recommendations Edward Turner, one of the other consultants at the company, had come up with for the defense of Leeds against Death Eater infiltration.

_A nice, solid plan_, Snape thought. _Ward the sewers, ward the streets, ward the Muggle houses when they're not watching. Wards for spying, wards for stopping, and if need be, wards for killing._

He narrowed his eyes.

_Problem is, it's a bit too predictable. Wards can be effective, but a strong enough wizard can break them._

It would be better to ward every approach but one. The enemy would go down that approach — less effort expended — right into some kind of non-ward trap.

He allowed himself a small smile. In addition to the wards protecting Spinner's End, there were a couple of Muggle jaw-traps with Muggle-repelling spells attached protecting some of the approaches to his house.

_Let's see the Death Eaters deal with that._

He'd have liked to apply the same tactics to the Evanses' home, but Muggle-repelling wards on Muggle property struck him as a bad idea.

"Severus Snape," the voice of Frank Longbottom said. Snape looked up to see the blue-white tiger Patronus sitting on a nearby desk.

"Yes?"

"There are riots in the werewolf council housing in London. Lupin has been captured. We think Fenrir Greyback is involved. Order members are gathering at the administrative office."

Snape looked at his watch.

_I should be taking my next dose of Polyjuice in a couple of minutes. Guess I won't need to._

"Mr. Robinson," he said.

Bryan Robinson stuck his head outside of his office.

"Yes?"

Snape gestured to the Patronus.

"Duty calls."

Robinson nodded.

"I hired you knowing the risk. Stay safe."

"Thanks."

Snape Disapparated.

September 24th, 1979 AD

12:26 PM

Snape materialized amidst the Order members at the council housing administrative office. Wands were drawn.

"Who're you?" a suspicious John Anderson asked.

"Severus Snape. I'm Polyjuiced, remember?"

"Oh yeah," Anderson said, a bit sheepishly.

"And for the record, I live in Manchester at Spinner's End with Lily Evans Snape and our kitten Hector. It might not be me next time."

He looked at his watch again.

_Should be any minute now._

Although Anderson was mollified, the others continued to look at his suspiciously until the Polyjuice began to wear off.

"Happy?"

The others nodded. Then Longbottom cleared his throat, getting their attention.

"All right," he said. "Here's what's going on. A few days ago, on the night of the full moon, one of the werewolves was a little slow getting back to his apartment and the supervisory staff intervened. The werewolf ended up being killed and pro-Voldemort agitators have seized on that to stir the werewolves to violence."

He waved his wand and an overhead view of the council housing materialized in the air between him and the Order members.

"Lupin has been trying to dissuade the werewolves from allying with Fenrir Greyback. The agitators have abducted him and are holding him captive, we believe in this building."

One of the larger buildings lit up on Longbottom's floating map.

"I see the Order of the Phoenix intends to rescue its tamed beast," a short, dark-haired woman had already started running to fat interrupted.

James Potter scowled.

"Don't call Remus that," he said, voice hard.

A large man Snape did not recognize stepped between her and Potter.

"I would treat a Ministry official with more respect, if I were you," the man rumbled.

Potter's retort came in the form of a Stunner that knocked the man on his back, unconscious.

"I think I'll treat Ministry officials with respect if and when they deserve it," Potter growled.

"Potter!" John Dawlish shouted. "We're on the same side. Revive him!"

Potter shrugged.

"Very well."

He waved his wand and the henchman woke up. He got back to his feet and scowled at Potter.

Snape narrowed his eyes.

_Best keep an eye on that one._

In the Americans' recently-concluded war in Vietnam, there'd been some reports of officers being killed by their own men in the midst of battles — "fragging," they called it. Snape wouldn't put it past the woman or her minion to try something like that, particularly after this humiliation.

Longbottom sighed.

"This is Dolores Umbridge, who manages the complex on the Ministry's behalf. She's staying back here for her own protection — she's the agitators' primary target."

_I wonder why?_

"As I was saying, they have Lupin in this building. They've laid jinxes so we can't Apparate in, so we're going to have to do this the hard way…"

CRACK!

Lily Evans Snape materialized in an empty corner.

"Sorry about that," she said. "There was something I…"

Longbottom silenced her with a gesture.

"Not now. As I was saying, they've got Lupin in the Montfort building, with anti-Apparition jinxes all around. We'll have to go in on foot. We'll rendezvous in front of the stairs."

September 24th, 1979 AD

12:34 PM

The Order raiding party materialized behind the makeshift barricades surrounding the Montfort building.

_Amateurs_, Snape thought as he slashed down two surprised werewolves with Sectumsempra. _They should have laid jinxes for hundreds of yards around, not just inside the building._

The Order of the Phoenix made quick work of the defenders outside the building and forced their way through the barricaded front doors.

_Nobody's in the bloody lobby. They could have easily gotten us coming in the door._

Longbottom and Dawlish waved their wands.

"Okay," Longbottom said. "Lupin's in 216, on the second floor."

_Dunderheads. They should have kept him higher in the building._

"The stairs are over here," the Auror continued, "But they're defended."

The rescue party made its way to the stairwell. Longbottom opened the door and turned to Snape.

"Do the honors."

Snape smiled and brought his hand to his mouth, calling forth the Fiendfyre.

_Not too much. Go up the stairs and into the hall and dissipate._

Two fiery gazelles bounded up the stairs. Snape could hear screaming as the werewolf defenders died.

"Now!" Longbottom shouted.

The Order members bounded up the still-smoking stairs onto the second floor, stepping over some vaguely human-like piles of ash and bone. As soon as Longbottom, Dawlish, Snape, and Potter got into the hallway, they unleashed a storm of curses that sent the werewolves running.

_Not trained to stand and fight. Voldemort must think them cannon fodder._

Longbottom blew down the door into the apartment where Lupin was being held captive.

The Order surged inside. As they entered, the smell hit Snape like a fist and he saw Lily wrinkle her nose.

_Ugh. Has someone not been maintaining the plumbing?_

Roaches scattered as the Order secured the sitting room and kitchen.

"Don't come any closer," a shaggy wizard in patched robes growled as he stepped from the bedroom, his wand to Remus Lupin's throat. Lupin was bloodied and bruised — his captors had not been kind.

"You fool," Dawlish growled. "If you kill him, you die."

"And if you don't back away, slowly, he dies," the werewolf retorted. "Bloody traitor deserves it anyway, fighting against Greyback."

Hatred momentarily crossed Lupin's battered face at the mention of the monster that infected him.

Dawlish's wand moved imperceptibly. The werewolf began to make the motions to curse Lupin but instead brought his wand to his temple.

"Goodbye," Dawlish said.

The werewolf cast Reductor, shattering his skull. Both he and Lupin fell to the floor.

"Moony!" Potter shouted. He rushed over to his friend and pulled him to his feet.

"Wand," Lupin gasped. "They put it in the kitchen."

Lily stabbed with her wand and Lupin's wand rose from the kitchen floor and flew to her. She tossed it to him.

"All right," Longbottom said. "Let's get out of here before they remember they outnumber us."

The Order made its way back down the stairs, blasting aside a mob of werewolves coming up the stairs to deal with them. Once they got outside of the building, they Apparated away.

As he vanished, Snape noted a large number of werewolves were gathering in the streets outside…

September 24th, 1979 AD

12:47 PM

The Order rescue party materialized at complex's administrative headquarters. Dolores and her henchman were waiting for them in the lobby.

"I see you've found your pet, Mr. Potter," she said acidly.

Potter stepped forward. Dolores's henchman's hand slowly made its way towards his wand.

"Yes I did. Funny, you don't seem too pleased."

"Prongs," Lupin said, a warning note in his voice. "This isn't the time."

"No, it's not," the henchman said. "Good to see you've rescued your friend. Here's what's going on now."

He stabbed with his wand and the map of the complex materialized in the air.

"The DMLE has got the areas controlled by the rioters cordoned off. The beasts have stressed the line in places, but it's holding. Once we get more people in place, we can level the buildings they control and pick up the pieces."

Then a Patronus — it looked like some breed of dog Snape did not recognize — bounded through the window.

"Werewolves. Outside the administrative. Probably Portkeys."

_Damn and blast. Instead of breaking through the DMLE cordon, they've gone around it._

Dolores' henchman grabbed her arm. Nothing happened.

"The animals have laid anti-Disapparition jinxes. We'll have to…"

"Confringo!" a chorus of harsh voices shouted outside.

A wave of magic slammed into the wall behind him, tearing it open in places. Through the gaps, Snape could see dozens of shabbily-dressed witches and wizards outside.

Dawlish and Longbottom fired Killing Curses through the gaps in the walls while the henchmen spun in a circle, gesturing with his wand.

"They haven't gotten around back yet. Hurry."

He pulled Dolores towards the back door.

"You go," Longbottom ordered. "John and I will hold them."

Snape and the others evacuated out the back door while the two Aurors hammered the oncoming werewolves with Killing Curses.

"All right," Dolores ordered. "Start making barricades."

She stabbed with her wand and began transfiguring rocks and other debris into chest-high piles of stone.

_Unpleasant as she no doubt is, she's got some sense_, Snape thought as he watched Dolores and her minion erecting barricades in the gaps between the administrative center and two nearby buildings. _The werewolves will have to come over them to get to us._

Lily joined in, erecting stationary Shield charms atop the physical barriers, with gaps so the Order could fire on any attackers.

_Good girl._

Dawlish and Longbottom emerged from inside the administrative center, looking a bit scorched.

"They nearly broke through, but we ran them off," Longbottom said. "They left a lot of people behind."

"Frank," Dawlish said. He pointed. Snape followed his finger to see a mob of werewolves coming around the corner. All but two of them carried wands; the others carried a gun and a baseball bat.

_Two more Muggle-werewolves. Watch out for the gun._

He didn't know how well a Shield charm would hold against physical — as opposed to magical — assault and he did not want to be the lab rat.

Then the werewolves attacked and he found himself with more pressing matters.

"CONFRINGO!" the werewolves roared. The massed curses tore a hole in the barricade and the rioters poured through the gap.

"It's Umbridge!" one of the werewolves shouted.

"Murderer!" shouted another.

"Kill her!"

Two werewolves broke away from the mob to charge Dolores and her henchman. The henchman cast a Shield Charm, while Dolores stabbed with her wand. The two werewolves fell screaming to the ground and Dawlish finished them with the Killing Curse.

"Sev, did you see that?" Lily said. "She used the Cruciatus Curse! That's illegal!"

"Ahem," Dolores said. "My dear, you do know that the Aurors have been authorized to use the Cruciatus Curse and other Unforgivable Curses as part of the war effort?"

Lily wheeled on the shorter woman, eyes alight.

"Something tells me you're not an Auror," she said.

Dolores smiled.

"That may be, but if the Ministry authorizes the Aurors to use Unforgivable Curses, surely they have the prerogative to authorize other agents, particularly those in charge of dangerous animals, to do the same?"

"Oh…" Lily said, voice trailing off.

Dolores nodded, her smile growing wider.

"So you see, I have done nothing illegal. Why don't you keep your mind on the job? The animals are on our side of the fence."

_True. But there aren't many left._

Dawlish and Longbottom moved like lightning, cutting down the remaining werewolves who had gotten through the barricade. The survivors retreated back through the gap and the Aurors began repairing the defenses.

Snape could see more werewolves gathering on the other side and two bigger, more confident ones whipping the others into a sort of order.

_They're going to try again._

This time, their attack bore a remote resemblance to a military assault. Several petrol bombs — probably the Muggle-werewolves' idea — flew over the barricade. Although Snape and Longbottom managed to contain most of them within Shields before they could explode, they distracted the Order members from the main assault.

_Crack! Crack!_

Snape ducked.

_Gunfire._

One bullet slammed into the barricade, while another bullet slammed into the stationary Shield. It drilled partway through and stopped, suspended like a fly in amber.

_Not as good a protection against bullets as it could be but it beats not working at all._

The werewolves began pushing through the gap again.

Lily stabbed repeatedly with her wand. Instead of her usual fiery attacks, werewolves fell unconscious or paralyzed.

Snape repressed a sigh.

_Sometimes compassion for the downtrodden can be a vice._

Of course, he wasn't one to talk — if it weren't for that, he doubted she'd have befriended him in the first place. And the Petrified or Stunned werewolves clogged the gap, slowing their charge considerably.

The werewolves retreated again, leaving several of their fallen behind.

_Looks like we managed to check their attack, Portkeys or not._

Then shouting and war cries erupted behind them and to their left. A dozen werewolves boiled out of a nearby building.

_Sod all! We've been flanked!_

Snape spun and hurled a series of Bone-Distortion Curses. His attack sent a werewolf reeling, bones ripping through his skin and clothes. Behind him, Snape could see a big man with graying dark hair and whiskers.

"Hallo, dearest," he rasped, eyes locked on Dolores.

The shorter woman stepped back, eyes widening.

"Greyback," she gasped.

Fenrir Greyback laughed.

"The very one. Avada Kedavra!"

The jet of green light hurtled at Dolores like the fist of God. She tried to run, but the curse caught her between the shoulders. She fell dead.

Greyback threw back his head and laughed, a laugh that almost sounded like a howl. The others werewolves joined him.

Then he threw himself to the side as Dawlish hurled the Killing Curse.

"You'll have to do better than that," he rumbled. "Confringo!"

His spoken incantation gave the Auror the time he needed to Shield himself. Despite this, Greyback's curse rocked him on his heels.

Several werewolves lunged at Dawlish. The Auror killed one, then caught another on his Shield and slammed him into a nearby wall.

"Avada Kedavra!"

Dawlish leaped to the side to avoid the Killing Curse, enabling one of the werewolves to trip him. His stumbling left him open and one of the werewolves Stunned him.

Meanwhile, Snape and Lily found themselves facing off against several werewolves. He found himself reminded of the night the werewolves attacked them in Hogsmeade.

_My, how I love history repeating itself._

"Back to back," Lily said.

Snape nodded.

"Now is not the time for mercy," he said.

Lily nodded, somewhat more reluctantly.

The werewolves charged, shouting their spells. None of them seemed able to use the Killing Curse, so he and Lily's Shields were able to protect them.

_Confringo!_

Snape fired his spell into the ground at the feet of two of the werewolves, sending them flying. Lily unleashed a fiery whip that sent several of them running, two badly burned.

"Back," one of the werewolves ordered. "Fire as you go!"

This time, the werewolves displayed some tactical sense, firing low to force the couple to lower their Shields before firing high to take advantage. Snape wasn't able to bring up his Shield in time. The curse caught him in the chest and slammed him into ground, knocking the wind out of him.

Lily was at his side immediately.

"You all right?" she asked.

"Ye…" Snape began before a tall shadow loomed over them.

"Isn't this sweet?" Greyback said. "You two got any kids yet?"

_He just_ had _to bring that up, didn't he?_

"What's it to you?" Lily demanded.

"Ring me when you do," Greyback rumbled. "I'd love to eat them."

He smiled, revealing yellow teeth.

"I mean, meet them."

Lily's response was a colossal Blasting Curse aimed at Greyback's face. The werewolf managed to Shield himself, but the resulting explosion knocked him several feet backward.

_Lily has the right idea. He can't threaten our future children if he's_ dead. _Putesco!_

Greyback shifted his Shield downward to deflect the curse and scrambled backward. Snape saw an opening.

_Sectumsem—PROTEGO!_

Two more werewolves had joined the fray, casting a storm of curses at him and Lily.

The two of them Shielded themselves and retaliated. Lily's Blasting Curse blew one of them into the debris pile, while a vigorous application of Sectumsempra reduced another to a screaming, bleeding mess.

Meanwhile, Longbottom killed two werewolves in quick succession and fired the Killing Curse at Greyback. Greyback dodged and fired a Killing Curse of his own at the Auror, then stepped back towards the building they'd come from.

"We've done what we came to do!" he called to his allies. "Retreat!"

The werewolf squad retreated into one of the nearby buildings, casting Shield Charms behind them. Snape noted that Greyback and his men took their wounded with them.

_They're better wolves than the others — they're protecting the pack._

Silence fell for a long moment.

"We need reinforcements to drive the werewolves out of these buildings," Longbottom said. "I'll contact DMLE."

He cast his Patronus. Before the blue-white tiger could get far, a squirrel Patronus hopped down from atop the ruined administrative center.

"Come to the Ministry immediately," it ordered, speaking in a voice that Snape did not recognize. "The Death Eaters are attacking in force."

The Patronus vanished. Longbottom turned to the others.

"You heard what it said."

He and Potter Disapparated immediately. The others soon followed suit.


	77. Decapitation

**Decapitation**

by Matthew W. Quinn

**Author's Note: **Happy Thanksgiving!

September 24th, 1979 AD

12:55 PM

James Potter, Severus Snape, Remus Lupin, Lily Evans Snape, and the other members of the Order of the Phoenix materialized in the Atrium of the Ministry for Magic, in the midst of Hell.

The Dark Lord and his army had come calling.

A vast diamond-shaped formation dominated the Atrium. Massed ranks of Inferi formed the corners and sides of the diamond and werewolves marched just inside the points. In the center of the mass, dozens of Death Eaters marched or floated on brooms and within that terrible cloud was Voldemort himself.

_Holy Mary_, Snape thought. _There must be hundreds of them._

Ranks of Aurors, Law Enforcement personnel, and common witches had wizards had formed up in front of the golden gates that marked the entrance into the Ministry proper. The air between the oncoming hordes of darkness and the beleaguered defenders glowed with a psychedelic display of hurled curses.

"Don't just stand there, damn it," Frank Longbottom ordered. "Do something!"

"There aren't many of us and there are hundreds of them," John Anderson said. "What do you propose we do?"

Longbottom looked at Snape.

"You're free-handed with the Fiendfyre. What do you think you could do with it?"

Snape's dark eyes leaped over to the outer rim of Inferi.

"Inferi are vulnerable to fire," he said. "Fiendfyre won't just burn out in its immediate target — it will keep going."

"And I've got a spell of my own I've been working on," Potter said.

Snape raised an eyebrow.

_Potter, inventing spells?_

Still, if he could do it, Lily could do it, and Sarah Jewell could do it, so could Potter.

"It's more of a combination of existing spells than an entirely new spell, but I think it will have the effect we want."

"Well don't just stand there chatting about it," Longbottom ordered. "Do it."

Potter looked at the horde of Death Eaters in front of them.

"Okay," he said, turning to Snape. "Lupin and I will use the spell. It's like those Muggle mortars you had, only it's fire. They'll move to Shield themselves against an attack from above and you can send the Fiendfyre underneath."

_A clever move._

Snape nodded.

"Are there enough of us to do significant damage to them, or will we just bring down a force outnumbering us 20 to 1 on our heads?"

Potter thought for a moment.

"How much Fiendfyre can you generate?"

"I've never tried to produce a maximum."

"John and I can cast Killing Curses," Longbottom said. "Now let's get to it. I don't want the Ministry to fall while we sit here discussing what to do."

Potter and Snape nodded. Potter and Lupin then stepped forward and raised their wands.

"Ready?" Potter asked.

"Ready," Snape said.

"Ready," Longbottom said.

"Go!" Potter shouted.

He and Lupin waved their wands and said an incantation Snape couldn't quite hear.

The results were immediate. A stream of fireballs erupted from both of their wands and arced into the air over the Death Eater host. Anderson stepped forward and cast several Shield Charms in front of the two Gryffindors.

_Good idea._

As Potter and Lupin's fiery barrage began descending, the fireballs spread wings and became flaming birds. The Death Eaters were already turning, casting Shields against this new threat, but fiery birds maneuvered around the defenses, coming down on the evil army like the bombs of the long-ago Muggle Blitz.

Fiery explosions erupted among the Inferi and werewolves. The Death Eaters managed to protect themselves better — the Dark Lord generated a Shield Charm at least thirty feet wide — but Snape could see burning black-clad bodies falling off their brooms.

"Now, Snape!" Longbottom ordered.

Snape brought his hand to his mouth and unleashed the Fiendfyre. He focused all his breath and all his magic, hoping to produce a fiery monstrosity capable to destroying the entire Death Eater host.

A gigantic stream of fire surged forward into the Death Eater rear and the massed ranks of the Inferi shriveled in the heat. Snape's eyes widened at the sheer devastation his spell had unleashed.

_Wow._

As the Fiendfyre surged forward, it took the form of a gigantic cobra. It punched through the thickest ranks of the Inferi and sent the ill-trained werewolves rushing to safety before it reared, targeting the Death Eaters on their brooms.

Several Death Eaters burst into flame, but Voldemort rushed forward. As the cobra struck for the Dark Lord, it slammed headfirst into an enlarged Shield Charm.

Snape was vaguely aware of the great cheer rising from the beleaguered defenders of the Ministry, of the jets of green light that flew by him as the Aurors moved to slaughter the fleeing werewolves and Death Eaters the Fiendfyre missed, and the thunderclaps of other Order members Apparating in to join the battle.

It was the battle between the Dark Lord and the gigantic fiery snake he'd unleashed that consumed his attention.

The fiery beast slammed into Voldemort's Shield over and over again, but the charm held. Snape could see the Fiendfyre weakening with each attack and his heart began to sink.

Then the Dark Lord smiled, a sight that sent a chill slithering down Snape's spine. He waved his left hand and the Fiendfyre moved with it.

_No…_

Voldemort quickly spun and cast the fiery serpent at the massed defenders of the government offices, who were commanded by a man with a mustache and a bowler hat.

_That's Barty Crouch!_

Dozens of Shield Charms bloomed over the massed ranks of Law Enforcement officers. Snape's depleted cobra slammed into the silvery-blue wall. It splintered into dozens of smaller snakes that slithered along the magical defenses, searching for weaknesses.

Here and there, it found them and surged through. Snape could see individual witches and wizards burning behind their Shields before the Fiendfyre finally expended itself.

Voldemort and several Death Eaters dove in behind the dying Fiendfyre, casting Killing Curses. The defenders' retaliation blew many Death Eaters off their brooms but Voldemort weathered it all to engage Crouch himself.

"Don't just stand there!" Longbottom ordered. "Forward!"

The Order of the Phoenix surged forward across the smoking ground the Fiendfyre had cleansed moments before, stepping over the burnt remains of Inferi, werewolves, and Death Eaters.

One Death Eater swooped down from Voldemort's side.

"We still outnumber them!" Lucius Malfoy roared. "Rally!"

The remaining Inferi marched forward, forming an enormous crescent that threatened to envelope the Order members. Behind them, the remaining werewolves formed up, while other broom-mounted Death Eaters rallied behind Malfoy.

_Oh bugger. _

Snape's eyes leaped around him to count how many Order of the Phoenix members faced off against the evil host. His heart sank as he realized how bad the odds were.

Above them, Malfoy laughed.

"And so it ends, blood trait…"

_You talk too much. Sectumsempra!_

Snape struck Malfoy in mid-speech, tearing open his shoulder to his hip. He sank backwards, crying out in pain, and the Death Eaters and werewolves that had formed up on him cried out in dismay.

That cry, however, was soon drowned out by a much larger cry from the defenders of the Ministry offices.

Snape's dark eyes leaped over to the defenders and saw Crouch fall dead, struck down by a Killing Curse from Voldemort. The Death Eaters cheered and Voldemort and his acolytes swung away from the Ministry offices to deal with the Order of the Phoenix.

_That's foolish. He should have taken advantage of the shock to press the assault._

Then he didn't have time to think as the dark wave crashed down on the Order of the Phoenix. Longbottom and Dawlish rose on brooms they must have taken from fallen Death Eaters to challenge Voldemort, while every member of the Order of the Phoenix found themselves dealing with werewolves, Inferi, Death Eaters, or combinations thereof.

Snape found himself facing off against three werewolves.

"Avada Kedavra!" they all shouted. One of their Killing Curses fizzled, but two jets of green light raced for Snape. Snape managed to jink between them and slash all three at once with Sectumsempra, disemboweling two and crippling the wand arm of one. He Stunned that one before he could switch hands.

Snape then looked for targets of opportunity. He saw a Death Eater dueling Lily and hamstrung him with his backswing. Lily hit the crippled Death Eater at point-blank range with a Blasting Curse, sending the bloodied man crashing into two more Death Eaters who were dueling Potter.

"Thanks!" the Gryffindor called out, giving both Snape and Lily a thumbs-up.

_Now is not the time for commentary!_

Dawlish slammed into the ground at Snape's feet. Unfazed, he fired a Killing Curse straight up. Snape's eyes followed it to see one of Voldemort's praetorians fall, but Voldemort was still locked in combat with Longbottom.

Nearby, Snape saw Malfoy dueling Edgar Bones. Although Malfoy's broom gave him speed and the ability to move in three dimensions, Bones was quick enough to evade Malfoy's attacks and hit Malfoy with several of his own.

Malfoy fought like a flying tiger, but Snape could see him slowing down. Blood loss from the Sectumsempra would cripple him soon.

Bones must have noticed this too. He fired a Blasting Curse at the ground beneath him, sending him flying into the air to meet Malfoy on his own ground. The senior Death Eater jinked to the side, evading Bones' attempt to grapple with him.

Bones stabbed with his wand, Summoning Malfoy and his broom. Malfoy found himself flying unwillingly towards the Order member. Malfoy cast the Killing Curse at Bones, but Bones managed to grab the front end of Malfoy's broom and threw his aim off.

Malfoy flew forward, Bones hanging onto the end of his broom, towards the Fountain of Magical Brethren. Bones, still holding on with one hand, hurled a curse at Malfoy, but missed.

Malfoy's retaliatory curse did not. Snape saw Bones blown off the end of Malfoy's broom and fall, straight onto the pointed hat of the wizard on the Fountain of Magical Brethren.

Snape winced at the sight of the pointed end of the hat punching through Bones' sternum.

Malfoy shouted in triumph, but Snape could see the wound on his chest bleeding again.

_Maybe he'll fall and get impaled on something._

That was not to be. Voldemort blasted Longbottom aside and waved his hand at Malfoy. Snape saw the tears in Malfoy's robes — and the wounds beneath them — knitting themselves shut.

_Damn it. Looks like they've got people who can heal Sectumsmpra wounds._

Snape found himself facing off against a squad of Inferi commanded by a Death Eater he could not immediately recognize. Snape and his opponent circled each other, the undead preventing Snape from cursing his opponent.

Suddenly, a bright red flame erupted among the Law Enforcement witches and wizards.

_Fiendfyre! It's Trigg!_

A gigantic fiery bear loped forward, incinerating Inferi, Death Eaters, werewolves, and innocent bystanders alike. Snape got a momentary glimpse of horror on Potter's face as a woman and a child, pinned beneath a fallen chunk of the ceiling, burst into flames as the horror passed.

Then the flaming bear apparently spotted Voldemort. It roared, shaking the Atrium.

The Death Eater Snape was dueling turned to see what was going on. Snape moved to curse the man, only to have the Inferi charge him.

_Damn it_, he thought as he cast a blizzard of Burning and Reductor Curses, igniting and shattering the undead attackers. The Death Eater, his attention pulled back to his immediate opponent, cast the Killing Curse at two of his undead servitors. Snape dodged and retaliated with Sectumsempra, ripping open his throat.

The bear then charged the Dark Lord and his bodyguard. The Dark Lord waved his wand and all of the Inferi — even though who'd managed to pull down Order members or Law Enforcement personnel and were currently tearing them apart — disengaged and charged the new threat.

The Inferi shriveled in the heat as the Fiendfyre charged, but Snape could see the fiery bear slowing down. Behind the Inferi, Snape could see the Death Eaters casting Shield Charms, putting a wall of blue-white magic between themselves and the rampaging flames.

Then the Dark Lord flitted to the top of the Shield and brought his own hand to his mouth.

_Oh no_, Snape thought. _He's going to cast Fiendfyre himself!_

Snape fired a barrage of curses at Voldemort. The Dark Lord spun, deflecting the assault, and retaliated with the Killing Curse. Snape threw himself to the side just as Trigg's Fiendfyre smashed through the Death Eaters' array of Shields.

The Dark Lord turned his attention back to the Fiendfyre. The fiery bear reared on two legs and was swinging its paw at Voldemort in a manner guaranteed to crush or incinerate him.

Voldemort made a series of incantations and the fiery bear literally exploded into dozens of burning bats.

As the bats crashed down all over the Ministry Atrium, the Death Eaters, the werewolves, and their few remaining Inferi retreated to the fireplaces and disappeared into the Floo network.

_They're leaving! We won!_

Then his gaze wandered over the hundreds of small fires burning throughout the Ministry Atrium to the Law Enforcement personnel gathering around the fallen Crouch.

_Or did we?_

September 24th, 1979 AD

1:40 PM

The fires had been put out and the dead and wounded had been collected.

Unfortunately, that did not necessarily mean that all was at peace. Snape watched as Potter approached Trigg, who was standing alone amidst the rubble.

"I didn't get him," Trigg muttered to himself. "I didn't get him."

"Not only did you not get him," Potter said. "You killed a lot of innocents to do so."

Trigg wheeled on Potter, eyes alight with rage. Snape leaned forward.

_Is that actually_ fire _in his eyes?_

Snape had heard of the expression "fire in his eyes" before but had never seen it literally happen.

_Given his propensity for Fiendfyre, I would not wish to be standing in front of him just now._

Snape moved into Trigg's blind spot and began slowly approaching him.

_It would not do to have him use the magic_ I _taught him to commit violence against fellow Order members, particularly since I_ told _him not to._

"You're a fine one to lecture me on virtue and morality, Potter," Trigg growled. "At Marlene's funeral — "

"I said I was sorry, all right," Potter said. "I realized within about twenty minutes that proposing to Mary right then was a bad idea. But — "

"No buts, Potter. You dishonored Marlene with your goddamn Gryffindor impulsiveness and — "

"That's not as bad as killing innocent people!" Potter shouted. "How many people besides Death Eaters have you killed? I counted at least fifteen today alone!"

"It was bloody necessary!" Trigg shouted back. "If I'd brought Voldemort down, the war would be over. Better to lose ten or twenty people and end the war than to have people dying day after day after day for years on end!"

_We Slytherin pride ourselves on using any means to achieve our ends_, Snape thought as he drew closer. _But there are limits._

"What's the point of winning the war if we all die along with them?" Potter demanded. He took a step closer to Trigg.

"Prongs," Lupin warned. Potter ignored him.

"I remember how devastated you were at Marlene's death. How many people mourn now because you killed their Marlenes?"

That pushed Trigg over the edge.

"DON'T YOU BLOODY DARE SAY HER NAME, YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Trigg roared. He brought his hand to his mouth…

_Oh no he doesn't. Stupefy!_

Snape's Stunner raced for the back of Trigg's head. At the last possible second, Trigg stepped aside. The spell rushed past Trigg's head.

Potter threw himself out of the way, avoiding both the Stunner and the first wave of the Fiendfyre. The fiery mass burned the floor of the Ministry Atrium to green glass where Potter had been standing, then turned to pursue him.

_Here is where Potter's foolish refusal to use Dark Magic is going to cost him_, Snape thought. _He can't control the Fiendfyre. I can._

The flames pursued Potter, who laid several Shield Charms to contain them. The Fiendfyre seethed within the Shields for a moment before seeping through the gaps and pursuing Potter once more.

Snape reached out with his mind and seized control of the cursed fire. The mobile inferno pursuing Potter stopped abruptly and turned back on Trigg.

"Snape!" Trigg shouted, realizing he now faced two enemies. His face hardened. "You got a little too ambitious with the Fiendfyre and now Crouch is dead. Perhaps you need to be punished too."

Snape did not exchange further verbal attacks but instead commanded the Fiendfyre to attack.

The Fiendfyre and Trigg gestured with his free hand, stopping the Fiendfyre in its tracks. He hurled a curse at Snape.

Snape Shielded himself and the curse went wild, slamming into a man Snape did not recognize. The man collapsed, the whites of his eyes yellowing and his skin sloughing.

_That was the Flesh-Rotting Curse. Trigg means business. Sectumsempra!_

Snape slashed at Trigg over and over, blows that would cut inches deep if they landed, but Trigg managed to Shield himself. Potter charged, unleashing a smaller version of the rain of fire he deployed against the Inferi, but Trigg managed to evade or deflect those curses too.

The Fiendfyre moved to attack Potter once again and that occupied all of his attention. Trigg lunged at Snape, slashing with his wand, and Snape was not quick enough to Shield himself. A bright burning line of pain erupted from his left knee to his left hip as the Sectumsempra caught him.

Despite the pain, Snape appreciated the irony of the situation.

_A former friend is using my own spell against me while I'm defending a former enemy, who used to do the same._

Snape managed to stay on his feet and hurl two curses at Trigg in quick succession.

_Putesco! Os intorqueo!_

Trigg deflected those and it was two bystanders who fell, their bodies rotting and twisting.

_Damn it. He knows all the same spells I do._

Trigg then unleashed a powerful Blasting Curse. Snape managed to shield himself, but the resulting explosion sent him skidding away.

Trigg turned on Potter.

"Burn," he growled, spewing more Fiendfyre. The augmented attack shattered Potter's shield. The Gryffindor turned to run…

CRACK!

Albus Dumbledore materialized between Potter and Trigg.

Trigg's eyes bulged and he quickly pulled back the Fiendfyre.

"Dumbledore," Trigg gasped. Snape could discern real fear in his voice. "I can exp — "

"I've heard and seen enough!" Dumbledore half-shouted, blue eyes alight. Snape felt a chill running up his spine — this was one of the few times he'd seen Dumbledore _angry_.

Dumbledore waved his hand, dispersing the Fiendfyre into millions of tiny sparks.

Unfortunately, Trigg took that moment of distraction to Disapparate.

"Damn and blast," Snape said as he rose to his feet, trying to ignore the pain from his wound. "Looks like we've got another problem to deal with."

"It's partly my fault," Potter said. "If I hadn't been so foolish…"

Dumbledore shook his head.

"Some wounds go too deep for healing," he said. "Trigg was under investigation for his…excessive…tactics, although given the losses Law Enforcement has taken over the course of the war, he could not be removed from duty. He would have likely lashed out at someone, somewhere."

Dumbledore sighed.

"It seems we now have a loose cannon out there. I imagine most of his fury will fall upon the servants of Voldemort, although were I you, Mr. Potter, I would be careful."

Potter nodded.

"I will."

"Sev," Lily said.

Snape turned to see his wife.

_What is she doing here?_

"Lily? You're back."

Lily nodded.

"I heard what had happened. Are you all right?"

"Mostly."

The Sectumsempra-cut Trigg had left in his leg stabbed again and Snape winced.

"Bastard got me in the leg, with my own spell no less."

Lily came over.

"Sit down, Sev. Let me look at it."

"Don't worry, I can — "

Lily scowled at him.

"Yes, but I can get a better angle at it. It's not on _my_ leg after all."

_True._

"Sit down," Lily said, all but pulling him onto a large debris pile. Once he was seated, she knelt beside him and ran her wand up and down his wound, singing as she went, and the wound sealed up. There wasn't even any pain.

"Thanks, Lily."

Lily smiled.

"Good to see you're taken care of. See you tonight."

She stepped back and Disapparated.

_Ah yes. Now that I'm patched up, I've got to clean up and get back to work._

Being a part-time soldier could be a real pain sometimes.

September 25th, 1979 AD

12:30 AM

That night, after they had made love, Lily lay draped over him, her chin resting on his shoulder. Snape traced a long finger up and down her bare back and thought about what Greyback had said.

_He said he'd eat our children. That sick wanker._

"Lily?" he asked.

"Urm?" she murmured into his neck.

"You took your potion, right?"

Lily pulled herself onto her elbows and looked at him.

"Yes," she said quietly. "Yes I did."


	78. Tragedy

**Tragedy**

by Matthew W. Quinn

**Author's Note**: 100,000+ hits. Thanks, y'all.

October 4th, 1979 AD

9:30 AM

_Another bloody letter to the editor, complaining about Fiendfyre_, Severus Snape thought as he read the Letter to the Editor section of the _Daily Prophet_. _This idiot wants it made an Unforgivable Curse, says it's too dangerous for anyone but Aurors to use._

He repressed his urge to throw the paper down and kept reading.

_This one is interesting — the guy's claiming Trigg hasn't been caught yet because his friends in Law Enforcement are protecting him. That one actually makes sense._

Of course, there were other reasons Arnold Trigg had not been caught after his attempted murder of James Potter. Magical fugitives, particularly those who retained possession of their wands, could Apparate, Floo, and create Portkeys.

_Not to mention the goblins tend to be remarkably stubborn when it comes to "freezing assets."_

Snape heard his wife coming down the stairs.

"Morning, Lily," he said, her presence warming his heart. "You're up early for a Saturday."

Lily Evans Snape smiled.

"I didn't want to just loll around in bed until 10," she said. "Still a bit tired though."

"I made some coffee," Snape said. "There's enough left for you, I think."

Lily smiled.

"Thanks, Sev."

Then someone knocked on the door.

Snape's hand immediately dropped to his wand, his combat reflexes taking over.

_The wards should keep out those with hostile intent, but wards can be broken. Besides, there is the gap near that bear-trap._

"Severus, Lily," Albus Dumbledore said.

Snape relaxed, but hints of uneasiness remained.

_What is Dumbledore doing calling so early in the morning?_

Lily looked down at her clothes.

"Great," she said. "How can I play hostess in a bathrobe?"

"I'll handle this," Snape said. "You can go upstairs and put on something presentable."

"Good idea."

Lily made her way back up the stairs while Snape went to the door.

_Homenum revelio._

There were two wizards on the other side of the door. One of them was the right height to be Dumbledore.

_Still, one can never be too safe._

"What was the name of the song Lily and I danced to at our wedding?" he asked.

"I believe it was 'Wonderful Tonight' by Eric Clapton," Dumbledore said. "A fine song, I think."

_Unless the Dark Lord has subverted another member of the Order of the Phoenix, that's got to be him._

Snape undid the deadbolts and the chain. He opened the door and stepped back to admit Dumbledore and a short, somewhat stout-looking man.

"Severus, this is Evander Johnston, an official from the Ministry for Magic."

_Oh bloody hell. Are they going to get on my case about Fiendfyre?_

Still, it paid to be polite.

"Pleased to meet you," Snape said, forcing himself to smile.

"Severus," Dumbledore said. "You had better sit down."

Unease began circling Snape's heart.

"Something's going on, isn't it?"

Lily chose that moment to come down, wearing the Muggle street clothes she ordinarily wore on weekends.

"Headmaster!" she said excitedly.

"Hallo, Lily," Dumbledore said. "You had better sit down too."

Snape and Lily sat together on the sofa while Dumbledore and Johnston took other chairs in the sitting room. Dumbledore took a deep breath.

"Severus, I come bearing bad news. Your parents are dead."

The unexpected news hit Snape like a fist. He tried to restrain his jaw from dropping, tried and failed.

"W…what?" he asked.

"It happened this morning. Mr. Johnston witnessed it. Death Eaters."

"No," Snape gasped. "No, they were in hiding with the Fidelius Charm. How can this be possible?"

"They did go out, sometimes," Dumbledore said.

_I can understand that. The two of them trapped in that little apartment with only each other and an elf for company. Somebody would have ended up dead._

"The Death Eaters must have ascertained the general area where they were living and been watching."

He reached into his bag and removed his Pensieve.

"I think you should see it," he said gravely.

Johnston removed a memory from his head while Dumbledore set the Pensieve on the table. Johnston put the memory inside the stone basin and swirled it.

Snape inhaled.

_Do I really want to see this?_

"Severus," Dumbledore said. "I understand if…"

Snape shook his head.

"I can do this."

Slowly, Snape lowered his face into the basin.

He found himself standing in Diagon Alley, near where his parents were staying. He could not see the door — Johnston had not been let in on the secret.

Suddenly, Mum and Father materialized on the street in front of him.

_At least they took precautions._

Tobias Snape had grown a beard, while Eileen Prince Snape wore a cloak with the hood up.

_A bit unusual, given it's not that cold yet, but not uncommon either._

The two of them made their way away from Johnston. The man turned to leave when the CRACK of Apparition filled the air.

Two Death Eaters had materialized amid the throng of Diagon Alley denizens. As panic broke out around them, they hurled Killing Curses at Mum and Father.

"No!" Snape shouted, but there was nothing he could do.

The elder Snape fell dead, hand on the butt of his pistol, but the curse meant for Mum hit a bystander instead. She drew her wand.

"Care for a dance, you blood traitor bitch?" one of the Death Eaters said in a voice Snape recognized as Evan Rosier's.

Eileen responded with a curse of her own aimed at Rosier. Rosier Shielded himself, while the second Death Eater Disarmed Eileen. She called her wand back to her, but before she could attack again, the second Death Eater jabbed with his wand. Eileen screamed.

_Cruciatus!_

Snape instinctively went for his wand but stopped himself before he could cast a spell.

_What can I do, inside a Pensieve?_

"This is for bringing up a Mudblood-shagging slave of Dumbledore," the second Death Eater — Michael Mulciber — growled.

Someone in the crowd found their courage and hurled curses at the two young Death Eaters. Rosier deflected them and turned to Mulciber.

"Aurors'll be here any minute," he warned. "Finish the job and let's get out of here."

"No!" Snape half-screamed as Mulciber shrugged. He drew his wand and tried to cast Sectumsempra at Mulciber, not caring that his curse would not work inside a memory.

It did not work. Mulciber casually killed Eileen with the Killing Curse, while Rosier cast the Dark Mark. Both of them Disapparated.

A moment later, an Auror Snape did not recognize materialized over Eileen's corpse.

Snape rose out of the Pensieve and found himself back in the sitting room. He could feel hot tears pouring down his face, dripping down his long nose. He could also feel Lily holding onto him, but that seemed rather immaterial now.

"Why now?" he gasped. "Father had been drinking less, having fewer outbursts. He even bought Mum a present, the first time he'd done that in years. Why…?"

"The Death Eaters are focusing more on targeting the friends and family members of their enemies," Dumbledore said. "Facing us head-on in battle has proven unprofitable for them in recent weeks…"

"No," Lily gasped.

Snape turned to face her.

_Is she thinking what I'm thinking?_

She quickly stepped back and snatched her wand from the table. She made the appropriate movements and her fox Patronus bounded through the closed front door and was gone.

"I'm calling Longbottom, or any Auror," Lily said, edges of panic in her voice. "Mum, Dad, and Tuney have gone down to Dorset for a few days. They'll be vulnerable…"

"How many people know your family will be absent from their home?" Dumbledore asked. "If it's not widely known, they may be safe in Dorset."

Dumbledore's words set wheels turning in Snape's brain.

_If they don't know Lily's family is gone, they may attack their house anyway._

A grim smile crossed his face despite his tears.

_If we catch them, we can_ hurt _them_.

"If we move quickly, we might be able to intercept the Death Eaters at Lily's family's house," Snape said harshly. "Punish the bastards a bit."

Dumbledore nodded.

"Yes. We can do that."

October 4th, 1979 AD

9:50 AM

Dumbledore, Snape, Lily, and Johnston materialized in the trees behind Lily's childhood home, hopefully safe from prying Muggle eyes.

Seconds after they arrived, a Death Eater came around the corner.

"They're here! Get them!" he shouted.

Two more Death Eaters joined the first in the backyard.

"Avada…"

The first Death Eater's voice trailed off when he spotted Dumbledore.

"It's Dumbledore! Fly!"

The two Death Eaters who brought up the rear vanished around the corner. The first one turned but wasn't quick enough — Snape was able to hamstring him with Sectumsempra.

The Death Eater fell to the ground, dropping his wand. Driven by rage and pain, Snape loped forward, his approach relentless.

The Death Eater reached for his wand, but Snape slashed the tendons on the offending hand. The Death Eater grabbed with his other hand, only for Snape to slash him there as well. Snape blasted the man's wand into some nearby bushes for good measure.

The Death Eater tried to scramble away, trailing blood behind him, but Snape brought his foot down on his ankle. He then slashed at one of the arms the Death Eater was using to drag himself.

"Mercy," the man gasped. "Please, for Merlin's sake."

"How much mercy did Mum and Father get?" Snape asked.

He slashed the Death Eater again, parallel to the man's spine. The Death Eater screamed. Snape stood there, eyes locked on the fallen man, and wondered what to do next.

_Should I keep at it?_

If he kept his attacks away from major blood vessels, he could drag this on for awhile.

_The Death Eaters killed Mum and Father. Make them suffer._

He raised his wand again, then felt a restraining hand on his right arm.

"Sev," Lily said.

"Yes?"

"You've beaten him. You don't need to do this anymore."

"He's a Death Eater," Snape said woodenly. "He deserves it."

"Hurting him won't bring your parents back," Dumbledore said.

The resulting rage blew away the intellectual awareness that the old man was right. Snape wheeled on Dumbledore, dark eyes burning with fury.

"I'd like to see you do any better, when someone you care about…"

"Severus," Dumbledore said, firm but sad. "I _have_ lost someone I cared about and I _have_ done better."

Snape remembered the locket, how it projected the form of a young woman.

_A woman named Ariana, who addressed Dumbledore as 'brother.'_

"Was it Ari…"

Dumbledore raised a hand, silencing Snape.

"Who it was is irrelevant. My point is, one cannot defeat the darkness by sinking to its level. Look at poor Mr. Trigg."

_Trigg seemed quite good at defeating the darkness by sinking to its level._

Of course, there was a difference between using Dark Magic in battle and his final madness where he lashed out at his friends.

Slowly, Snape lowered his wand.

"Very well. You take him to Azkaban then."

Snape turned and walked away.

October 4th, 1979 AD

10:15 AM

Snape barely made it back to the sitting room of Spinner's End when the overwhelming, soul-crushing grief that the fight against the Death Eaters had temporarily kept away returned.

He sank onto Father's easy chair, not even caring that his knees were where his bum should go, and started crying again. The sheer weight of the realization he would never see his parents again — not in this lifetime at least — ground down upon his soul like a huge, relentless wheel.

He prayed, hoping the old rituals could give him comfort.

_God our Father, Your power brings us to birth, Your providence guides our lives, and by Your command we return to dust. Lord, those who die still live in Your presence, their lives change but do not end. I pray in hope for my family, relatives and friends, and for all the dead known to You alone. In company with…_

He could not finish. His tears and grief overcame him and he buried his face in the easy chair. He could feel his tears soaking the cushion, rolling down onto his collar, and did not care.

Then he felt a warm hand on his shoulder.

"Sev," Lily said.

She helped him to his feet and guided him over to the sofa.

_What's she doing?_

"Wha—" he began.

Lily shushed him and gestured for him to sit. Not entirely sure what Lily had in mind, he obeyed. As soon as he was seated, she sat down next to him and pulled him into her arms.

"It's all right," she said as she stroked him. "It's all right."

"Thanks, Lily," he said, voice hoarse.

He decided then what had to be done.

_Rosier, Mulciber, I will see you _dead._ No matter what needs doing, you both will feed the worms by the time this is over._


	79. The Diadem of Rowena Ravenclaw

**The Diadem of Rowena Ravenclaw**

By Matthew W. Quinn

October 20th, 1979 AD

6 PM

Although Severus Snape sat next to Lily Evans Snape on the sofa at the Order of the Phoenix headquarters, his mind was very far away.

It had been just over two weeks since the Death Eaters killed Tobias and Eileen Prince Snape.

Snape had arranged for their joint funeral at the church where he and Lily were married, with the Squib priest officiating. They were buried side-by-side in the churchyard.

_Probably more closeness in death than they had in life, most of the time_, Snape had thought morbidly as the coffins were lowered into the ground.

The reading of their wills meant more complications.

_The house is mine now. I'd prefer to sell it and move rather far away, but Lily wants to stay._

He'd ordinarily chalk that up to silly sentimentality, but Mr. Evans' health had taken a turn for the worse lately and she wanted to stay close.

_Mr. Evans was a better father to me than Father was. He deserves that._

"Sev," Lily said, elbowing him in the side. "Dumbledore's here."

"Oh. Thanks."

He perked up as Albus Dumbledore took his place at the front of the room.

"Some of you may be wondering why the Order has not met since the invasion of the Ministry," he said. "It is because I have been quite busy with Wizangamot business. There has been a lull, so I have decided to update you on what has happened."

He paused for a moment.

"Since Crouch died, there has been a great deal of political maneuvering. Many of Crouch's policies had made him deeply unpopular."

_Like throwing people to the bloody Dementors without a trial?_

"The Minister for Magic has been ineffective, as usual, so it fell to the Wizangamot to deal with the situation. We have chosen a new head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Kurt Marshall."

Snape raised an eyebrow.

_Hmm…he was one of Crouch's lieutenants, but not one of the fanatical ones._

"Marshall has agreed to cease interning suspected Death Eaters without trial under the Emergency Decrees and to expedite trials for those already interned. We'll be very busy for the next few months, I assure you. Many people have been released already — the Ministry thinks the camps in Scotland will be emptied within two months."

"Good," Lily said. "It's Death Eaters who want concentration camps. We shouldn't sink to their level."

"Unfortunately," Dumbledore said. "Crouch's loyalists demanded a price."

Snape felt his heart sink.

_What could this be?_

"Under the original Emergency Decrees, the Aurors and the Aurors alone were permitted to use the Unforgivable Curses in service of the Ministry objectives. Under the revised Emergency Decrees, the Department of Magical Law Enforcement is permitted to use the Killing Curse, as are 'paramilitary organizations that serve the Ministry's objectives.' That means the Order of the Phoenix."

Snape repressed the urge to smile.

_Good. If I'd been allowed to use the Killing Curse that night in the mine, Voldemort would be dead and we could hunt the Horcruxes at our leisure._

"There are some of you in this room who are happy about this new development, I imagine," Dumbledore said.

Snape felt the weight of several gazes on him. He repressed the urge to glare.

_Do you people want to win the war or not?_

Dumbledore paused for a moment.

"For those of you who wish to use the Killing Curse, I cannot stop you, but I must advise you to be extremely careful. Friendly fire from other curses is dangerous, but the damage inflicted can be reversed. This is not the case with the Killing Curse."

_That's a good point._

Snape did not wish to cast the Killing Curse at Voldemort or Bellatrix and hit Lily or John by mistake.

"Now for military matters," he said. "The hunt for the Horcruxes has stalled. We have already found and destroyed two. All we know so far is two of those we have no found are objects associated with Helga Hufflepuff and Rowena Ravenclaw, one of them is a diary, and one of them is hidden at Hogwarts. We've searched the grounds repeatedly and found nothing."

Snape noticed James Potter looked lost in thought.

_He knows something. I wonder what._

He opened his mouth to ask when Dumbledore started talking again.

"Unfortunately, Arnold Trigg remains at large. Personnel from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement spotted him in Knockturn Alley a few days ago, but he was able to escape. The Ministry has tasked Aurors with tracking him, since there are questions about the reliability of Law Enforcement."

Dumbledore sighed.

"The Ministry has offered a reward of 2,000 galleons for his capture. Lord Voldemort has offered 5,000 for him, dead or alive."

Snape raised an eyebrow.

_Now this is interesting._

"Voldemort is clever. If the Death Eaters are the ones who bring Trigg to justice and not the Ministry, it would undermine the public's trust in the government and we cannot have that. We were beginning to recover from the worst of the damage when the Death Eaters attacked the Ministry and killed the Minister, even if they were ultimately driven back."

_Clever indeed. He seeks to undermine the legitimacy of the state, particularly where the families of those killed by Trigg's penchant for excessive force are concerned._

"On another matter, the interrogation of Narcissa Malfoy has proven to be an exceedingly useful source of information. We now know the incantation for Bellatrix Lestrange's curse and the countercurse. It is too late for poor Mr. McIntosh, but it may benefit others."

"What's the countercurse, sir?" Remus Lupin asked.

"The incantation is Puniceosectum. The countercurse is puniceorenovo."

Snape made a note to write that into his old Potions book, where he kept the incantations for Sectumsempra and Levicorpus.

_It would be most ironic to use her curses against her._

"Mrs. Malfoy has proven surprisingly resistant to interrogation, particularly in regards to where her husband might be. The interrogators have had to resort to…harsh methods."

Lily leaned forward.

_Uh oh._

"What sort of 'harsh methods,' exactly?" she asked.

"The Imperius Curse, mostly, with the Cruciatus Curse when she is being particularly stubborn."

Dumbledore shook his head as gasps of horror erupted throughout the room. Snape repressed his jaw from dropping.

_Holy Mary, Mother of God. They used the Cruciatus Curse on a pregnant woman._

"Headmaster," Lily said.

"You no longer need to call me that, Lily," Dumbledore said.

"Using the Cruciatus Curse on a pregnant woman? That's bloody _insane_. Her child has not committed any crimes."

"Given her condition, they were very careful," Dumbledore said. "I doubt they would want to risk harm to an innocent child."

"They're already risking harm to an innocent child!" Lily half-shouted. "Sev was able to penetrate her mind with his Legilimency once before. Surely the Ministry has Legilimens on its staff!"

_She had her guard down then and might have subconsciously wanted her pregnancy proven, to save her life. If the Ministry is searching for information that might endanger her husband, she might be more difficult to deal with._

Potter cleared his throat. Snape raised an eyebrow.

_Now we'll find out just what is going on._

"Headmaster," Potter said. "I think I know where a Horcrux might be hidden."

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow.

"Do tell, James."

"Well," Potter began. "Back when we were students, my friends and I would sometimes find ourselves in possession of things that we really…ought not to have had."

_No surprise there._

"And with Filch or teachers on our tail, we'd need to get rid of them quickly. We figured out there was a hidden room of some kind on the seventh floor, near the painting of the wizard who tried to teach the trolls to dance."

Dumbledore's eyebrow rose higher.

"That's the location of the room where I once found a chamber pot when I was in great need…"

_This is interesting. A room that provides whatever the one who finds it needs. Damn it, that could have been quite helpful if I'd known about it as a student._

"We'd come back whenever we needed to hide something. If You-Know-Who has got something hidden in Hogwarts that you haven't been able to find, it's probably there somewhere."

Dumbledore nodded.

"Very well. James, I would like you to return with me to Hogwarts."

Potter rose to his feet.

"C'mon, Moony. Let's see if we can find it."

Snape rose to his feet.

"I'm coming too," he said. "Fiendfyre is one of the more reliable means of destroying Horcruces."

Dumbledore nodded. "Very well, Severus."

October 20th, 1979 AD

6:45 PM

Dumbledore, Snape, Lupin, and Potter materialized in front of the Hogwarts gates and quickly made their way to the seventh floor.

"How exactly do you get in?" Snape asked. "Something tells me you can't ask it 'I need the room where the Horcrux is hidden.'"

Potter smiled.

"You can't do that, but there are other ways to skin a cat."

Potter paced back and forth in front of a blank section of the wall three times and a door appeared. Potter smiled.

"After you," he said, gesturing to Snape.

_Well, all right. I hardly doubt something is going to attack me._

The wizards filed into the Room of Requirement. As Snape took in what was inside, his jaw dropped.

_What the hell? Thousands of students must've hidden things here._

His heart sank. They'd be here for quite awhile.

"All right," Potter said. "Time to get it."

He waved his wand.

"Accio Horcrux!"

Nothing happened.

"Damn and blast," Potter said. "Looks like we'll have to do it the hard way."

"I would imagine," Snape said.

They spread out throughout the room. Snape's dark eyes swept over an open cupboard containing books on subjects Headmaster past would not approve of. Some of those subjects had to do with the Dark Arts.

_Remind me to come back here sometime later. This could be useful._

He stepped forward and opened the cupboard fully.

_Neither Rowena Ravenclaw nor Helga Hufflepuff was a dunderhead, but I don't see anything significant about these books._

He carefully maneuvered the cupboard door back to its original position, then stoop on his tip-toes to get a good look at the top of the cupboard.

_Nothing._

He stooped to look under the cupboard.

_Nothing._

He walked over to a group of swords stacked against the wall and, carefully avoiding the edges, peered around and behind them.

_Nothing here either._

Snape and the others continued searching. Time passed. Snape was beginning to wonder if they would ever find the bloody thing when he heard Lupin call out.

"I think I found something."

_Excellent._

Snape saw Lupin walking over to Dumbledore carrying a diadem in his hands.

"How do you know this is it?" Potter asked.

"'Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure,'" Lupin said, reading it off the diadem.

"The statue of Rowena Ravenclaw in their common room wears a diadem," Dumbledore said. "It has been lost for a long time."

"Didn't You-Know-Who disappear for a while, before he began his war?" Potter asked. "Perhaps he found it."

Dumbledore nodded.

"A strong possibility."

He took the diadem from Lupin and shifted it in his hands.

"This is definitely a Horcrux. Now to destroy it."

He set the diadem on the ground waved his wand, clearing a wide space around it.

"We wouldn't want the Fiendfyre to spread."

Dumbledore brought his hand to his mouth and blew. The cursed fire extended like a fiery tongue swimming with serpents to envelope the diadem.

The object shimmered as though the soul fragment inside was fighting its own destruction. After a long moment, it crumbled.

Snape allowed himself a small smile as the Horcrux disintegrated.

_One more down. How many more to go?_


	80. Strike While the Iron Is Hot

**Strike While the Iron Is Hot**

By Matthew W. Quinn

November 5th, 1979 AD

11:30 PM

"Severus, Lily," Frank Longbottom's voice interrupted Severus Snape's dream about the Dark Lord burning like the effigies of Guy Fawkes the Muggles had set up.

"Urm?" Snape said, slowly struggling awake. Through sleep-clogged eyes, he could see a blue-white tiger perched on the end of the bed. He momentarily bristled at this invasion of privacy.

_It's just a recording. It's not spying on you._

Beside him, Lily Evans Snape was still asleep.

"Urgent Order of the Phoenix business. Get to headquarters. Fast."

That yanked Snape fully awake.

_Oh bugger. What could possibly be happening?_

He leaned over and gave Lily a shake.

"Urm?" she asked. "More fireworks?"

Snape shook his head. "The Order's calling. Look."

Lily turned over and squinted.

"Urgent Order of the Phoenix business," the Patronus repeated. "We need everyone at the headquarters, now."

The Patronus winked out.

Lily groaned and pulled herself out of bed. Snape was already putting on his robes.

November 5th, 1979 AD

11:40 PM

Snape and Lily materialized in front of the Order headquarters and went inside.

John Anderson bounded up to meet them.

"Do you know what the bloody hell's going on?" he asked. "I get a Patronus in the middle of the night telling me there's Order business and I need to get down here bloody…"

"We don't know what's going on either," Lily said. "Shall we go inside?"

_Someone's a little testy when they get woken up in the middle of the night._

"Good idea."

The sitting room was quite crowded. It seemed to Snape that the entire Order of the Phoenix had been called out. Snape spotted Arthur Weasley, who had what looked like fresh tar on his hands.

_Weasley, celebrating Guy Fawkes Night with the Muggles? Why am I not surprised?_

A few more people came in behind them. Once they were inside, the doors closed and bolted themselves. Albus Dumbledore and Frank Longbottom took their places in the front of the room.

"All right," Dumbledore began. "You may be wondering why I called all of you here tonight."

_Damn right I am._

"I have good news. We believe the last Horcruxes have been destroyed. Lord Voldemort is mortal now."

The room erupted in cheers, punctured by the occasional disbelieving mutter.

Snape grinned, something he did not do very often.

_It's the beginning of the end. The snake-faced bastard is going down._

"How did this happen?" an Order member Snape did not recognize asked.

"Thanks to information supplied by Narcissa Malfoy, we learned that Lord Voldemort gave a relic of Helga Hufflepuff to Rodolphus and Bellatrix Lestrange for safekeeping."

Dumbledore swallowed.

"Getting it out of their vault proved to be a trifle difficult, but we managed it. There is a duplicate cup there, so if the Lestranges come to Gringotts, they will not suspect a thing. The last Horcrux was right under our very nose, at Malfoy Manor."

November 5th, 1979 AD

7:30 PM

Dumbledore walked through Malfoy Manor. Behind him, flanked by two large wizards from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, walked Narcissa Malfoy.

Imprisonment had not been kind to her. Her blue eyes were hollow and her blond hair was wild. She looked about anxiously, keeping one hand on her belly at all times.

"Now, Mrs. Malfoy, what was it that Lord Voldemort had entrusted to your husband?"

Narcissa remained silent. One of the wizards scowled and began to gesture with his wand.

"No," Dumbledore said. His hard voice froze the man in mid-motion. He turned to frightened witch and smiled.

"Helping me find whatever is here will bring the war to an end all that much faster. As long as it goes on, your husband is in very great danger and we can detain you under the Emergency Decrees."

"It," Narcissa began. Every word was like a tooth being pulled. "It was a diary. Lucius kept it in...in a chest in our bedroom."

_How odd. It should have been found by now._

"Where is your bedroom?"

"Up the stairs. To the left."

They made their way up the stairs into a bedroom that would have been opulent, had it not been half reduced to ashes.

_Severus and Mr. Trigg's handiwork, I would imagine._

"The chest is under the bed," Narcissa said, her every word an admission of defeat.

"I'll get it," one of the Law Enforcement wizards said.

He stepped over to the burnt, half-collapsed bed and reached under it.

A house-elf erupted from a nearby closet. The little creature waved its hand and an explosion sent the wizard flying.

"Master said what was under this bed was to be protected!"

The other wizard moved to curse the elf. Dumbledore raised his hand.

"Mrs. Malfoy, I think this is where you come in."

"Dobby," Narcissa began. "Dobby, things have changed. Let them take it."

"Yes, Mistress. Should Dobby punish himself?"

For a moment, Narcissa looked like she would say yes. Dumbledore shook his head.

Narcissa gulped.

"No, no Dobby. Do what these men say."

The first Law Enforcement wizard clambered to his feet and, grumbling, pulled a scorched trunk out from under the bed. He immediately moved to open it.

"Careful," Dumbledore cautioned.

The wizard opened the trunk, more carefully. Nothing happened.

Dumbledore stepped over and looked inside. The trunk was full of books, most of which were blackened and twisted by fire.

"Mrs. Malfoy, could you come here?"

Narcissa stepped over, one of her captors close behind.

"Could you show me which one was the diary Lord Voldemort gave your husband?"

"Lucius hid it in the middle, not too high and not too low," she said.

Dumbledore gestured with his wand and books began floating out of the trunk.

"Point to it when you see it," he ordered.

Narcissa pointed at one, a thin, scorched book that dripped ink like blood.

"That's it," she said.

Dumbledore reached out and took it in his hands.

_It was alive once. It isn't anymore._

November 6th, 1979 AD

12:08 AM

Snape whistled.

_Once we kill him, he's going to stay dead._

He frowned.

_Why is Dumbledore telling many people, especially the entire Order, this? All the Death Eaters need to do is capture one or two people and the Dark Lord will know._

Then he allowed himself a small smile.

_Of course, there is the possibility of another Unbreakable Vow._

"We do not know if the Dark Lord knows about the destruction of his Horcruxes, although he probably suspects the diary. If he does find out, it is possible he will start making new ones and we will be back to square one," Dumbledore said. "It is time to strike while the iron is hot."

Snape's small smile grew wider.

_Excellent. Between the reduced number of Death Eaters, the destruction of the Horcruxes, and the fact we can use the Killing Curse now, I think things are looking_ very _good._

"The Aurors and I will begin planning immediately. In the meantime, every member of the Order present tonight must take an Unbreakable Vow or be sequestered until the final assault, just like we did before. Frank will serve as the Bonder. Line up please."

The membership of the Order lined up to make the Unbreakable Vows. As they finished up, Snape noticed that one member of the Order had not made a Vow.

In fact, he was not even there.

"Where's Regulus?"

Those words immediately caught Potter's attention.

"That's a good point. He stepped out a couple of hours ago, said something about him visiting his parents. They're pissed at him for abandoning the Death Eaters and openly fighting alongside the Order, but he's the sole son and heir of the Black family now, so they haven't burned him off yet."

Potter swallowed.

"He should be back by now. It might be prudent for me to go to his parents' house, see if he's still there."

"Not alone, you're not," Lily said. "Sev, John, let's go too."

_A nice, reckless impromptu possible expedition against the Death Eaters. Perhaps I'll have the chance to deliver the first installment of the vengeance I plan on wreaking for Mum and Father._

"I'm going too," Mary Macdonald Potter said.

November 5th, 1979 AD

12:10 AM

The quintet of wizards materialized in an alleyway near the Black family home that Potter said was a good place to Apparate in the midst of Muggle London.

The smell of smoke stung Snape's nose seconds after they arrived.

"Something's burning," Snape said. "We should be careful."

Potter peered out of the alleyway.

"Damn and blast!" he gasped. "The Black home is on fire."

Snape's dark eyes leaped to the burning building. He did not see a Dark Mark.

_This means no Death Eaters. That's good._

On the other hand, the Blacks were sympathetic to the Dark Lord even if they did not bear his Mark.

"Potter, you might want to make yourself scarce," Snape said. "Trigg might be here."

Potter shook his head.

"If he does not see me, he might leave. If I'm in the lead, he'll definitely come out and face me. Then we can mob him."

_Dreadfully Gryffindorish, but a clever plan nonetheless._

Snape shrugged.

"All right."

"However," Potter said. "He might not be willing to show himself."

He pointed.

Several Muggle fire engines had pulled up to the house.

"I thought Mr. Black had concealed his home, in addition to the other defenses," Snape said. "How can the Muggles see it? How can _we_ see it?"

"Not sure," Potter said. "Whoever attacked the house might have destroyed the wards and magical defenses in the process."

Anderson stepped back into the alley and cast his Patronus. The blue-white eagle flitted away into the night.

"Best be sure the Ministry knows about this," he said. "Even if nobody ends up Obliviated."

Snape watched as firefighters sprayed the house with water and foam. The water and chemicals evaporated before they touched the flames.

_Fiendfyre. Trigg's definitely involved here._

They made their way over to where the Muggle fire crews were stationed and found Regulus Black and Sarah Jewell standing there in their nightclothes.

"What happened?" Potter asked.

"Mum and Dad were in a better mood and said it was late, so we should stay over. Sarah and I were talking with them and suddenly something exploded in the foyer. I went to see what it was. There was another explosion and I came to out here in the street."

_Whoever's behind this moved quickly, if Black didn't see what happened._

"What did you see?" Lily asked Sarah.

"It was very quick. I ran out into the foyer and there was a dark-haired man wearing DMLE robes…"

_Trigg. Odd that he's still wearing his uniform, but still._

"I tried to hex him but he was quicker. Next thing I know, I'm out here on the street with Reg and the building's burning…"

"I tried to get back in," Black interrupted. He gestured angrily at the Muggle firefighters. "They wouldn't let me."

He scowled.

"Damn the Muggles," he hissed. "I might be able to put those flames out, get in there."

"Reg," Potter said. "If that's Fiendfyre in there, the Muggles may well have saved your life. Can you control it?"

Black paused for a moment.

"No. No I can't. But he can."

He pointed at Snape.

"He taught Trigg Dark Magic. The least he can do is try to undo the damage he did with it."

_I never taught Trigg Fiendfyre. He learned that on his own._

Still, however petulant Black was being, he had a good point.

"Very well," Snape said. "If I can do it in such a way that doesn't draw attention."

Discreetly drawing his wand, he focused his will on the Fiendfyre raging inside.

_Your work, whatever it was, is done. Abate._

The flames would not obey. The Fiendfyre had a strong will behind it, stronger than the hungry maliciousness that ordinarily drove the magical inferno.

_Does that mean that Trigg is still here, somewhere?_

"Hands on your wands, all of you," Snape hissed. "Trigg might still be here."

_If that happens, we might have to get the Obliviators involved._

Snape continued focusing on the Fiendfyre. Slowly, intermittently, the flames inside began to dim and the Muggle firefighters' technology began to have an effect.

"The flames are going down!" one of the firefighters shouted. "Break down the door!"

A group of firefighters battered down the door. Jets of water and chemicals were directed in, forcing the flames back and enabling the firefighters to enter.

"I hope they don't find those elf heads Sirius told me were up on the walls," Potter whispered. "We'll need Obliviators for sure then."

"It is likely the Fiendfyre destroyed them too," Snape said.

A moment later, the firefighters emerged, carrying two terribly burned corpses.

Black fell to his knees, weeping.


	81. Throwing Sand Into the Gears

**Throwing Sand into the Gears**

By Matthew W. Quinn

**Author's Note: **What will happen to Draco comes from the "Deathly Hallows Do-Over," which is on my Favorites list. I think in many respects, it's actually better than Book 7, so I recommend it.

November 18th, 1979 AD

10:15 AM

Severus Snape, Polyjuiced into a red-haired Muggle with a beard, sat at a table at the office, discussing ways to deal with the possibility of massed Inferi attacks.

_The number of actual wizards who serve Voldemort is down lately, but Inferi are cheap, particularly given the sheer number of victims the Dark Lord has racked up_, he thought.

"Fiendfyre would be a good thing, I think," Timothy Rhodes, one of Snape's co-workers said. "I remember hearing about what you did at the Ministry Atrium. Cooked a full regiment of Inferi and a bunch of werewolves and Death Eaters too. If Fiendfyre could be put in a container that could be triggered by Inferi…"

"Once the Fiendfyre is unleashed, unless a witch or wizard is there to control it, it will rampage out of control, particularly if it can find something to fuel itself," Snape interrupted. "The possibility of collateral damage is too great."

_We don't want to be like Trigg, uncaring about how much mayhem we cause._

Snape sighed and shook his head. Renegade Law Enforcement officer Arnold Trigg had been busy lately. He'd killed Orion and Walburga Black, then went hunting for any other un-Marked supporters of the Dark Lord he could find.

_The Purebloods are barricaded in their manors and their brownstones, armed to the teeth. Trigg may be a bloodthirsty ass, but if the Death Eaters are staying home to protect their relations, that can't hurt._

"What would you propose replacing canned Fiendfyre with, then?" Rhodes asked, yanking Snape's mind back to the situation at hand.

"Tripwires," Snape said, thinking back to his father's stories of the Malayan Emergency. "Tripwires affixed to a less dangerous type of incendiary. Muggle petrol might be useful."

"Makes sense."

Then a boar Patronus passed through the wall to land on the table in front of Snape.

"Come to the Ministry," it spoke in John Dawlish's voice. "Meet me at the far end of the Atrium, away from the gates."

"Duty calls, I see," Rhodes remarked.

Snape nodded and looked at his watch.

_Eight minutes until the Polyjuice wears off._

November 18th, 1979 AD

10:17 AM

Severus Snape materialized at the rendezvous point.

"Who goes there?" John Dawlish ordered, wand up.

"I'm Severus Tobias Snape," Snape said, rehearsing the usual routine. "I live at Spinner's End with Lily Evans Snape and our kitten Hector. My Patronus is a bat and…"

"All right, I get the point," Dawlish said.

_Gee, thanks._

"Come with me," Dawlish said, extending his arm. Snape took it, only to find himself looking down on the atrium from an office window. Beneath them, he could see a dozen terrified Muggles huddled between a square of four masked Death Eaters.

"Here's what's going on," the Auror explained. "The Death Eaters are demanding the release of Narcissa Malfoy immediately."

"Bellatrix Lestrange and Lucius Malfoy?"

Dawlish nodded.

"Rabastan and Rodolphus Lestrange too. It's like a bloody family reunion, emphasis on 'bloody.' With my luck, Trigg will crash the party."

Below them, a tall, slender Death with dark hair peeking out from under her hood came forward and shook a fist at the Ministry's golden gates.

"You think you're bloody invincible, don't you?" Bellatrix Black Lestrange called out. "You think you can get away with violating the home and mind of a daughter of the House of Black without consequences? That you can unleash a Half-Blood attack dog on Pureblood families? That you can give away a Pureblood child to be raised by blood traitors and scum?"

Dawlish leaned over to Snape.

"They think we're still holding Trigg's leash," Dawlish said. "And someone in the Ministry let it slip we planned on taking Narcissa's son away as soon as he's born and giving him to the Tonks family to raise. Bad enough we've got Malfoy's wife in Azkaban, but to give Malfoy's son to his most hated in-law?"

Snape narrowed his eyes.

"Perhaps it was a deliberate leak, to provoke something like this."

Dawlish raised an eyebrow.

"If that's true, how very Slytherin of them. If this is part of some plan, hopefully it won't cost more lives than it saves."

_Four powerful Death Eaters neutralized if it does work. That will save many lives, wizards and Muggles both._

Bellatrix continued her rant.

"Well, actions have consequences!"

She turned and stabbed with her wand at one of the Muggles. The Muggle writhed on the ground, screaming so loudly his lips cracked.

"We will torture these Muggle worms in full view of everyone here, until you release my sister!" Bellatrix shouted. "Their pain — and their madness if I have to — is your responsibility!"

_Oh what rot._

She swept with her wand again and more Muggles fell screaming. Bellatrix laughed, as did a Death Eater Snape suspected was Malfoy.

The first Muggle lunged at the distracted Bellatrix.

"Die, you…"

He never finished his sentence. Bellatrix struck him down the Killing Curse and continued laughing.

"Where is your 'technology' now, you dogs?"

"Bella!" Rodolphus Lestrange shouted. "You keep doing that, we won't have anything to bargain with!"

"Clever, Roddy," Bellatrix said. "All right. I can have more fun later, I suppose."

Her husband nodded.

"Business first. Pleasure second."

Dawlish turned to Snape.

"We've got Aurors in position all around, but we don't want to hit Muggles when we fire on them. They've got anti-Apparition jinxes laid, so we can't get too close without losing our element of surprise. We're setting up Portkeys, but we don't want to unduly interfere with the existing network…"

Suddenly, someone materialized amid the Death Eaters. Then the flashes of green light began.

_Bloody hell._

Trigg had come calling.

"Damn and blast!" Dawlish swore. "Looks like there won't be time!"

_Someone obviously didn't care about mussing with the existing Portkey network._

"The anti-Apparition jinxes extend thirty feet in either direction," Dawlish said. "Come on!"

Dawlish vanished, materializing roughly thirty feet from the melee. Snape did likewise.

All around him, the captive Muggles scattered, screaming. Bellatrix shrieked and hurled her trademark curse at a group of them. The whirling pinwheel of purple light tore into them, gutting some, decapitating others and relieving yet more of arms or legs.

One of them hit the ground and skidded, coming to a halt at Snape's feet. An ugly cut ran from his hip across his belly to the bottom of his rib cage and Snape could see pulsing organs beneath.

"It hurts," the man whimpered. "It hurts so much…"

Snape knew he should move on, deal with the Death Eaters before they overpowered Dawlish or Trigg with their numbers, but the man started crying and even he, no soft heart, could not ignore it.

"All right," Snape said. "Sit still."

_What's the counter-charm? I remember it sounded a lot like the curse itself._

Then he remembered.

_Puniceorenovo._

He traced his wand over the man's gut wound, sealing it shut.

"I guess this one does not remind you of your Muggle father?" Lucius Malfoy asked.

Snape felt his blood run cold. He jumped back and the Killing Curse meant for him slammed into the ground where he had been.

_Two can play at that game now that the Ministry has grown a brain. Avada Kedavra!_

A jet of green light jumped from Snape's wand. Malfoy ducked and the curse sailed across the atrium to slam into the wall and carve out a piece.

"Tsk, tsk," Malfoy said. "If the Ministry sees that, you might snog a Dementor."

_You talk too much. Sectumsempra!_

Snape slashed at Malfoy. The evil wizard Shielded himself, but the spell cut into Malfoy's calf.

Malfoy growled in fury and hurled the Killing Curse at Snape. The curse passed by Snape's head and he could feel his ear burn.

_Too close, damn it! Puniceosectum!_

Malfoy's eyes bulged as the whirling pinwheel of purple light erupted from Snape's wand.

"Thank your wife for that," Snape gloated. "If you survive!"

Malfoy threw himself to the side, out of the pinwheel's path. The curse slashed through where Malfoy had been and cut through the arm of a Death Eater who was dueling Trigg, leaving him wandless.

Trigg laughed, a sound Snape found rather frightening.

"Thanks, Snape!"

Trigg then fired the Killing Curse straight into the Death Eater's chest.

"Rab!" the elder Lestrange shouted. He broke off from duel with Dawlish — who looked glad of the respite — and lunged at Trigg.

Snape then heard a series of thunderclaps and knew reinforcements were arriving.

Bellatrix cackled.

"Why, if it isn't Mrs. Mudblood?"

_Oh no. Lily!_

"Yes, it is, you vicious old vulture," Lily Evans Snape announced.

She then laid into the Death Eater woman with a stream of Stunners, Blasting Curses, and Burning Curses. The sheer magnitude of the assault forced Bellatrix back.

_Right into my line of fire. Avada Kedavra!_

Snape hurled the Killing Curse straight at Bellatrix. She saw it coming and jumped to the side. The curse slammed into the stonework above the golden gates, dropping several large chunks of rock into the path of the Law Enforcement reinforcements streaming up from underground.

_Damn and blast. I'll have to be more careful._

"Nice try, Mudblood-shagger!" Bellatrix called out, deflecting a pair of Lily's curses. "But you'll need to do better than that!"

Something moved in Snape's peripheral vision and Snape instinctively hit the ground. His instinct saved his life — Malfoy was back up and hurling Killing Curses. His attack passed through where he'd been and headed straight for Lily.

"Lily, look out!" Snape shouted.

Lily looked up to see Death coming for her. Instead of dodging it and opening herself up to attack from Bellatrix, she fired Blasting Curse into the ground at her feet, blowing herself out of the way much like Frank Longbottom had done that night in the mine.

_Good job, Lily!_

Snape whirled and slashed Malfoy across the face. Hot blood spattered Snape's robes.

_The git had stop to gloat, didn't he?_

Malfoy roared in pain and lashed out, unleashing a stream of Blasting Curses. Snape was too close to Shield himself and the resulting explosions sent him tumbling backwards. His left arm burned with pain — hopefully it wasn't broken—but his right arm was fine.

_Petrificus Totalis!_

Snape's curse caught Malfoy as he rose to his feet and froze him. He stayed upright for a moment before he toppled over.

_Got you now. I wonder how much money I'll get…_

Suddenly Malfoy was moving, scrambling back onto his feet again.

_What the hell? Did Lestrange have time to…?_

Something exploded behind Malfoy, sending him flying into a group of Law Enforcement wizards. He scrambled to his feet, only to be quickly Petrified and borne away.

_Looks like we've got the full set of Malfoys now. I wonder who it was…_

Then a green light flashed and Lestrange roared in triumph. Snape looked over to see Trigg fall, eyes empty and dead. Then Lestrange turned his attention to Snape.

"Die, you Mudblood-shagging traitor!" he roared.

Snape threw himself to the side and the Killing Curse passed through where he'd been. He spun, slashing with Sectumsempra. Lestrange's Shield Charm protected him for the most part — an assault that would have opened his throat and belly only slashed an eyebrow and shin.

Lestrange stabbed with his wand and pain tore through Snape's torso and his limbs. He barely suppressed a scream.

_He's using Cruciatus. Idiot thinks there's time to play._

Snape fell to his knees. The pain disappeared for a moment.

_What the…?_

Then Lestrange fired the Killing Curse at Snape. Despite the residual pain, Snape managed to roll away.

_A clever strategy, if he'd kept the pain up for a bit longer._

Snape scrambled up and fired the Bone Distortion Curse at Lestrange's head. The Death Eater managed to Shield himself, but that left his lower body open for another attack.

_Time to end this quickly. Avada Keda…_

Lestrange fired from under the edge of his Shield, unleashing a storm of silver arrows.

_Protego!_

Snape managed to Shield himself in time, but the Blasting Curses overwhelmed his defense. Hammer-blows struck him in the gut, chest, and temple and everything went black…

November 18th, 1979 AD

4:30 PM

Spears of light pierced the darkness and Snape groaned in pain. His head felt like someone was squeezing it in a vise.

"He's awake!" John Anderson shouted.

Snape groaned again as he fought his way back to consciousness.

_Where am I?_

The last thing he remembered was trying to cast the Killing Curse at Lestrange, to end the bastard once and for all.

He felt around with both his hands. He was in a bed and there was some kind of tube in his throat. Snape reached up to remove it, only for fiery terrible pain to shoot through his arm.

"We'll deal with that soon enough," an orderly said. "'Soon' being within the next couple of hours. Then you can drink the Skele-Gro."

_Might be better to have the damn tube running down my damn throat, if that's what's being pumped into me._

Mention of the Potion made Snape conscious of stabbing pains in several regions of his body. The worst of it was in his head and ribs, although one of his legs hurt like hell too.

"Sev!" Lily called out. She rushed over to hug him, but the orderly stopped her.

"Mrs. Snape, he's still a bit fragile. I think he'll be well enough for hugs in a few hours though."

"What happened?" Snape asked. The tube in his throat made it difficult to talk, but he managed.

"I got there just when it happened," Anderson said. "You were dueling Rodolphus Lestrange. He hit you with a bunch of Blasting Curses, broke your Shield Charm and slammed you into a wall."

"Bloody hell."

"Lots of broken bones and a bad concussion too. We think you'll be off your feet for a bit…"

"And that means we might have to delay the endgame," Frank Longbottom interrupted. "We need everyone we can and Bellatrix hurt Dawlish a good bit before she and her husband escaped."

_Damn it. The bitch is still out there._

"And a concussion means you'll need to rest for a few weeks. We've already secured some time off for you from your job."

_What? I haven't been working for them that long. They might decide to…_

"Your boss doesn't mind. He's glad to have the man who killed Mulciber and Dolohov and helped take down Lestrange on his staff, even if he can't brag about it."

Longbottom shook his head.

"Pity about Trigg though. I knew him before you all did. He was a good man, before Marlene's death sent him off the rails."


	82. Planning Armageddon

**Planning Armageddon**

by Matthew W. Quinn

December 19th, 1979 AD

6 PM

Severus Snape sat on the sofa in the Order of the Phoenix headquarters, waiting for Albus Dumbledore to arrive. His wife Lily Evans Snape had disappeared somewhere and none of his friends had arrived, so he was left to sit alone and ponder.

_The headaches are pretty much gone now_, he thought. _I haven't had a dizzy spell in two weeks. I think I'm pretty much back to normal._

He allowed himself a small smile.

_That means I can go back to war at the top of my game._

After all, Michael Mulciber, Evan Rosier, Bellatrix Black Lestrange, and Rodolphus Lestrange still needed killing.

He looked over to his bag, which contained some of the Dark Arts books he'd liberated from the Room of Requirement.

_Hopefully I'll have some nasty trick to administer to the bastards when I catch up with them._

Lily walked over and plopped down next to Snape on the sofa.

"Hallo, Sev," she said. "Having fun?"

"Oh yes," Snape said. "Scads."

Lily smiled and took Snape's hands in hers.

"C'mon," she said. "Come out here and socialize."

She rose to her feet and pulled on her husband's hands. Slowly Snape began to rise.

"All right," he said. "Just who are you socializing with?"

"Oh, the usual people. James, Mary, Fabian, Caradoc, and Emm. Caradoc and Emm are dating now, did you know that?"

Snape shook his head.

"It's very new," Lily said. "They started going together last month."

Lily led him over to the group, who were clustered around a table bearing sweets and goblets of wine.

"Hallo, Severus," Fabian Prewett said. "Feeling better?"

Snape nodded.

"Very much."

"Emm and I are dating now," Caradoc Dearborn supplied helpfully. "Isn't this cool?"

"I've heard," Snape said. "Don't go jumping on any couches now."

"I haven't done that year," Dearborn said. "Maybe I'll…"

"No!" Emmeline Vance and Lily shouted at the same time.

"You'll be back in action soon, then?"

"I would think so."

The door opened of its own accord and Albus Dumbledore, Elphias Doge, and Frank and Alice Longbottom came in.

_Someone's back on duty._

"Good evening, everyone," Dumbledore said. "This meeting of the Order of the Phoenix is officially called to order."

Everyone took seats.

"The Death Eaters have taken severe losses in recent weeks," Dumbledore said. "Of all the Dark Lord's inner circle, only Rosier, Mulciber, and the Lestranges remain free. Now that we are back to full strength, it is time to plan the final attack."

"Here is what we've come up with," Longbottom said. "Based on intelligence provided by our agents within the Death Eaters, we know the top leadership is gathering at Riddle Manor tomorrow night. It is a combination business meeting and Christmas party, although I do not understand why people who worship Voldemort would celebrate the birth of a far kinder Lord."

Snape raised an eyebrow.

_We're planning the final battle with only a day's notice? Either this is very fresh intelligence or someone has blundered._

"In any event," Longbottom continued, "Voldemort himself will be there, along with the remaining Lestranges and other top lieutenants. The Death Eaters are still reeling from the capture of Malfoy and the death of the younger Lestrange and we have no word of any new Horcruxes, so now is the optimum time to attack."

He gestured to Alexandra Easton, who sat with John Anderson on the other end of the sofa. Snape barely had time to wonder how they'd gotten inside without him noticing before Longbottom spoke again.

"Miss Easton will infiltrate Riddle Manor in the guise of Justin Avery and spin them a tale of escaping the Ministry after an interrogation session. She'll lay anti-Disapparition and anti-Apparition jinxes in every room but one. In that room, she will be sure there is a gap in any anti-Apparition defenses that exist so an advance team will Apparate in. Their mission is to use surprise to kill as many Death Eaters as possible."

Snape noticed Anderson and Alexandra talking in hushed tones. Anderson looked rather upset.

_He's had one girlfriend die on him. I doubt he'd be happy about another._

"The rest of the Order, Aurors, and the Department of Magical Law Enforcement will attack as soon as the Death Eater defenses of the Manor turn inward. With all the jinxes in place and hopefully many killed in the initial attack, we should be able to finish them quickly."

Snape raised his hand. Longbottom turned to face him.

"Yes, Severus?"

"Apparition tends to produce very loud noises," Snape said. "How do you intend to keep such an arrival hidden?"

"James has been so kind as to volunteer the use of his Invisibility Cloak for the initial attack. In order to be on the safe side, the members of the initial attacking party will wear invisibility cloaks of their own. And didn't you invent some charm that enables one to hide conversations?"

"That I did," Snape said. "That being said, I doubt any of us could cast it quickly enough to muffle the sound Apparition makes."

Longbottom smiled grimly.

"But you could cast it to muffle your movements, making it harder for the Death Eaters to track you by sound. The initial thunderclap will attract the Death Eaters to you, but they won't be able to see or hear you…"

_Ah._

"Now," Longbottom said. "We need volunteers. James and Mary have already volunteered, as have Alice and me. Who else? We can't have too many or else they won't fit under James' cloak."

Remus Lupin raised his hand. After a moment of discussion with Alexandra, Anderson raised his hand.

"That's six," Longbottom said. "I think that might be…"

Lily's hand shot up.

"I'll go too," she said.

Snape repressed a groan.

_Taking on the most dangerous part of the most dangerous mission. How delightfully Gryffindorish._

Still, he'd be damned if he'd let Lily go into said danger without him there to back her up.

_If she goes by herself, my enemies will go after her to hurt me. If I'm there, they'll go after_ me.

Snape raised his hand.

"I'll go too," he said.

This prompted some raised eyebrows and muttering.

_Perhaps someone noticed that I let other people take the front rank?_

"Oi," Potter said. "Cut that out."

Longbottom narrowed his eyes.

"Eight people? Seems a bit much to fit under the Invisibility Cloak."

"It's a big cloak," Potter protested, "And if we're wearing invisibility cloaks as well, if it doesn't cover every square inch of us, it wouldn't be a problem."

Longbottom shrugged. "All right. We're going to form up here tomorrow afternoon at 5:30. Unless you want to spend the night in Ministry custody, it's time for Unbreakable Vows."

December 19th, 1979 AD

7:30 PM

Afterward, a Squib priest — not Father Harrell, who Snape had known since he was a boy, but another one — arrived to give the Sacraments of Confession and Holy Communion to the Catholic members of the Order of the Phoenix.

_We could all die tomorrow. Best get all the sins out of the way first._

Kieran Abernethy stepped from the room set aside for that purpose and Snape went in. He knelt before the priest.

"Bless me Father for I have sinned," he said. "My last confession was three months ago."

"What do you wish to confess?"

Snape reflected on the last few months. He had fought and killed in battle, but the conflict with Voldemort surely fell under the rubric of the Just War.

"I have, perhaps, taken undue joy and pride in the destruction of my enemies," Snape said, slowly. "And the times when I've sat on the sidelines, through no choice of my own, I wished to go out and shed the blood of Death Eaters."

He swallowed.

"And although Lily has never complained, I imagine I could be more sociable with her friends. And I have not attended Mass as often as I ought."

The priest was silent for a moment.

"Have you any more?"

Snape shook his head.

"No, Father."

"Very well. I do not know you personally," the priest said. "But I do know you knew Arnold Trigg before he died. Whenever the temptation to exult in the destruction of your foes arises, remember what Trigg became. His anger twisted him, to the point that he, a member of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, became a terrorist like the enemies he fought against."

The priest paused.

"The Apostle Paul commanded husbands to love their wives as Christ loved His Church, and gave Himself up for it. In marriage, a man and wife become flesh and neither is the same person they were before."

Snape nodded.

"I understand," he said.

He knew Lily had been a good influence on him, from the time of their initial friendship onward, and knew that thanks to him, Lily's dogmatic attitude about the Dark Arts had softened.

"About Mass, go through your daily schedule and catalog everything that you do. I suspect you will find enough things that can be rescheduled or eliminated to make time for Mass, assuming you neglect Mass for lack of time."

The priest fell silent. Snape took this as the time for the Act of Contrition.

"O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended you, and I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell, but most of all because they offend you, my God, Who are all-good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of your grace to confess my sins, to do penance and to amend my life. Amen."

The priest responded.

"God, the Father of mercies, through the death and resurrection of his Son, has reconciled the world to himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins, through the ministry of the Church. May God give you pardon and peace, and I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

Afterward, Snape took the Communion wafer on his tongue and drank from the goblet of wine. He rose to his feet and the priest shook his hand.

"I know what's coming," the older man said. "Good luck. God be with you."

"And also with you," Snape responded.

Snape opened the door to find Lily standing there.

"Does he have time for one more?"

Snape raised an eyebrow.

_You too, Lily?_

He knew his wife was Anglican, albeit not an especially zealous one.

_Perhaps she plans to cross the Tiber?_


	83. Into Hell

**Into Hell**

by Matthew W. Quinn

**Author's Note: **The end is drawing nigh. I hope to have the whole thing wrapped up by the end of the year.

December 20th, 1979 AD

5:30 PM

Severus Snape pulled the collar of his coat up against the chill wind that whipped across the open field where the Order of the Phoenix marshaled.

He stood alongside his wife Lily Evans Snape, Frank and Alice Longbottom, James and Mary Macdonald Potter, Remus Lupin, and John Anderson in a little group separate from the much larger main body.

They would be the first ones going into hell tonight.

_The Dark Lord_, Snape thought. _Get the Dark Lord. Without him, the organization will collapse._

They were certainly well-equipped. They carried goblin-made metal bucklers, had their brooms strapped to their backs, and wore invisibility cloaks that left only their heads showing.

_I hope this works._

There was a clap of thunder and Albus Dumbledore arrived, along with his old friend Elphias Doge.

Alexandra Easton stepped out of the main body and stood before them.

"Are you ready?" Dumbledore asked.

Alexandra nodded. Her features liquefied and flowed and soon Justin Avery — a somewhat more emaciated Avery than Snape recalled — stood before them.

"I hope this works," she said, in Avery's voice.

_Good. I was afraid that part wouldn't work._

She Disapparated.

December 20th, 1979 AD

5:33 PM

Alexandra materialized at the bottom of a large hill and hoped no Muggles down in the village saw her.

_This probably won't last, if the plan succeeds. There'll be a battle and someone's going to see it._

She wondered for a moment if the Statute of Secrecy would survive a battle in a public place, then she shook her head.

_Never mind that. You've got a job to do._

She took the wand belonging to the Ministry official allegedly killed by Avery during his escape and began laying anti-Disapparition jinxes. She put a bit more power into them than usual, hoping to cover a large area.

_They'll wonder what you're up to if they see you walking around the entire bloody house before you go up the hill._

Having laid a few jinxes and not wanting to push her luck, she began climbing the hill. Ahead sat what was once a beautiful house, now covered in ivy. Many of its windows were boarded up.

"Avery!" someone shouted as she drew approached the house. Alexandra repressed the instinctive urge to cast a curse at the voice, which she'd heard on one of the few Order missions she'd taken part.

She turned slowly to face the voice.

"Avery, it's me, Sam Travers," a man said as he rushed up to her. He wrapped her in a hug, which Alexandra hesitantly returned.

"You're a mess," Travers continued. "What've they done to you?"

Alexandra sighed.

"Cruciatus. Imperius. Physical beatings sometimes. Dementors. And very little food. They thought I was weak and let their guard down, but I was stronger than they thought."

She smiled grimly, hoping to look tough.

Travers' eyes went wide.

"You escaped…from Azkaban?"

Alexandra shook her head.

"Not from there. Nobody gets out of there, not until the day our Lord triumphs. They took me to the Ministry and I got out of there."

Travers shook his head.

"That's good. Come on, I'll get you something to eat."

Alexandra followed Travers into Riddle Manor. As they made their way towards the kitchen, she began laying anti-Disapparition jinxes.

Travers turned around.

"What're you doing?" he asked.

Alexandra's heart jumped into her throat.

_What're you going to say? If you don't come up with a plausible explanation, he'll get suspicious._

"Something that'll make it hard for the Ministry's dogs to chase me," she said. "I'd rather not go back."

"Understandable."

The two of them entered the manor's kitchen, which was a lot cleaner than the outside of the building would suggest.

Travers clapped his hands.

"Ossy," he said. "Justin Avery's back. Get him something to eat."

A house-elf materialized in front of them.

"Does Master Avery have a preference?" the elf asked.

Alexandra shook her head.

"Anything will do," she said.

"Something quick, then," Travers ordered the elf. "He's probably famished."

The elf disappeared. A moment later, it returned with a pair of big, fine sandwiches. Travers handed Alexandra one and took the other himself.

Alexandra ate greedily, doing what she hoped was a good job impersonating someone who hadn't eaten much lately. Travers munched on his sandwich more slowly and, consequently, finished second.

"Okay," he said. "Now we're done, I'll need to take you to the Dark Lord straightaway. He'll want to know what's going on."

Alexandra's heart sank.

_He wants me to face…him? You-know-who?_

She was a decent enough Occlumens and she'd practiced with Dumbledore and John's friend Severus a fair bit during the day, but Voldemort was legendary for his ability to shatter mental defenses.

"I'm sure our Lord has better things to do than listen to dreary tales of Azkaban and the Ministry's secret cells," she said.

Travers shook his head.

"You might have seen something interesting. It's better to be safe than sorry these days. That peacock Malfoy went and got himself arrested and Rab killed and that wanker Trigg put fear of the Ministry into a lot of our allies, the ones who didn't believe that crap about the Dark Lord being Half-Blood."

_This is mad. The Dark Lord will figure out what's going on and he'll kill me._

For a moment, she contemplated attacking Travers right then, killing him or knocking him unconscious and stuffing him in a cupboard.

_I can do it. He won't expect it._

"Oi, Travers!" another voice said. "Who you talking to down there?"

"Avery's back!" Travers called out. "He managed to escape!"

The other voice whooped with glee.

"That's some good news. C'mon, bring him to the Dark Lord. He'll be glad to see one of his most faithful followers."

Alexandra nearly gagged. She barely prevented her knees from knocking together.

_Travers must've noticed._

"Don't worry, old boy. You didn't go down without a fight. The Dark Lord'll be happy you're back."

"Th…thank you."

Travers led Alexandra up a stairway and down a hall into an expansive drawing room, where Lord Voldemort and his inner circle — James Yaxley, the surviving Lestranges, Michael Mulciber, Evan Rosier, Amycus Carrow, Laurent Gibbon, Andrew Goyle, and Robert Wilkes — waited.

The Dark Lord smiled upon catching sight of Alexandra.

"Welcome back, Avery," he said.

_What do I do now?_

She remembered the real Avery had told her that Death Eaters knelt and kissed their master's robes.

Her slow reaction prompted the Dark Lord to raise an eyebrow.

"Have you forgotten something?" he asked, voice colder than usual.

"No, my Lord," Alexandra said. She knelt and kissed the hem of his robe.

Voldemort smiled.

"That's better. Tell me, how did you escape?"

Their eyes locked. Alexandra could feel something like a huge serpent pressing against her mind.

She thought about the "escape" Dumbledore had described to her. She pushed the images of her taking Avery's form away and thought only of Avery grabbing a Ministry employee's wand and killing his guards, then fleeing into the Floo network. As the pressure against her mental defenses grew intolerable, she opened them, thinking only of Avery's attack.

Voldemort smiled.

"Impressive."

Alexandra repressed the urge to sigh with relief.

"If true," Voldemort continued. "Avery, give me your wand."

Alexandra was quick to respond this time.

"Yes, my Lord," she said. She handed the Dark Lord her wand.

Voldemort caressed the wand with his long fingers.

"It appears you did use the Killing Curse. My apologies for mistrusting you. The Ministry and the Order are full of tricks these days."

He handed her wand back to her. Alexandra sighed in relief.

"You've missed much during the time Dumbledore's dogs held you," the Dark Lord continued. "We have suffered many setbacks. Lucius's ill-conceived attempt to rescue his wife cost me two valuable lieutenants, although Rodolphus did everyone a favor and put down that mad dog Trigg."

"Thank you, my Lord," Rodolphus Lestrange said. Bellatrix leaned over and stroked his arm.

"So that leaves us at an impasse," Voldemort said. "We have plenty of werewolves and Inferi to expend, but proper wizards are a precious commodity now. Perhaps a kidnapping campaign is in order. Surely you recall the attack on the _Daily Prophet_ after they maliciously slandered my ancestors?"

"Yes, my Lord."

"We've already used the Imperius Curse to recruit individuals or transform groups into weapons. Mr. Mulciber and Mr. Rosier have refined their technique since then. We might be able to use the curse en masse, to raise an army for a second go at the Ministry."

Alexandra swallowed, remembering the mass slaughter that had occurred that day.

"That would be excellent, my Lord."

"Greyback is chomping at the bit as well, but I'm reluctant to use him more than I need to. We wouldn't want him too much of the glory, would we? There can only be one Dark Lord."

Alexandra shook her head.

"No, my Lord. We wouldn't want that beast stealing the thunder that is rightfully yours."

Voldemort smiled.

"Enough business, for now. Would you like some wine?"

_He's either genuinely fooled or he's hoping to loosen your tongue. Either way, there's no time for this. John must be out of his mind by now._

"No thank you, my Lord," she said.

This quasi-defiance attracted Bellatrix's attention.

"You refuse to drink wine with the Dark Lord?"

"My Lord," Alexandra said quickly. "It has been a long journey and Dumbledore's dogs treated me most cruelly. May I rest for a time?"

Bellatrix scowled at this, but Voldemort smiled.

"Lord Voldemort is always considerate of his friends," the Dark Lord replied. "There are bedrooms upstairs. When you are feeling a bit better, come down and join us."

"You are most considerate, my Lord," Alexandra said.

Alexandra turned and left the drawing room, making her way towards the stairs. Once she was out of the line of sight of anyone in the room, she began laying the jinxes on the stairs. Having accomplished that, she walked the length of the hall, putting jinxes in each room.

"Avery!" Travers suddenly asked from behind her. "What are you doing?"

_Oh bugger. Confundo!_

Travers jerked as Alexandra's curse disrupted his mind.

"Wh…what's going on?" he asked.

"The Order's coming," Alexandra hissed. "Give me your wand and hide in the closet!"

"O…okay," Travers said. He did as he was told.

_Petrificus totalis!_

Having Petrified him, she shut the closet door.

_Good thing Voldemort didn't hear that. It's possible he's suspicious and sent Travers to keep an eye on me._

Of course, Travers had been awfully nice to her earlier. She momentarily felt bad for repaying his kindness with treachery.

She shook her head.

_Travers has got a price on his head for killing three Law Enforcement officers and ten Muggles. He's not a nice man, however nice he was to you._

She quickly laid jinxes in the remaining rooms on the hallway, leaving only one of the bedrooms free.

_I didn't fill up the entire Manor, but the jinxes have a bit of range to them. If the Death Eaters find they cannot Disapparate immediately, I doubt they'd test every room to see where they can Disapparate from._

Of course, they could always use Portkeys.

She cast her Patronus. The silver-blue duck flew away into the night.

December 20th, 1979 AD

6:00 PM

Alexandra's Patronus arrived.

"I've laid several jinxes, but I think they suspect something," the supernatural duck said in Alexandra's voice. "Much of the house is covered, but not all of it. We either need to cancel it or come now."

Snape saw the Longbottoms and Potters look to Dumbledore.

_If it turns out Voldemort knows we're coming, this could turn into a bloodbath. I hope he cancels it._

Dumbledore stepped forward.

"Mr. Anderson, step aside please."

Snape's jaw dropped.

_Holy Mary, Dumbledore is coming himself!_

Anderson seemed rather reluctant to surrender his cloak.

"Mr. Anderson, Ms. Easton will be in much less jeopardy if I go than you."

Anderson quickly offered his cloak to Dumbledore, who refused it.

"Keep it," the older wizard said. "You have more need of it than me."

Dumbledore stepped over to where the advance party gathered and stood next to Frank Longbottom. He gestured at himself with a wand and immediately vanished from sight.

_Wow. I didn't know he could do that._

"You're in command now, Elphias," Dumbledore said. "When you see the enemy's defenses turn inward, attack."

He turned to the others.

"We go now."

Potter pulled his Invisibility Cloak out of his bag and threw it over the assembled advance party. With so many underneath, it only came down to their knees, but each individual's cloak took care of that.

"Ready?" Dumbledore asked.

"Ready," Lily replied. The others agreed, with Snape being the last.

_How delightfully Gryffindorish._

"Now," Dumbledore said.

The entire party Apparated away.

December 20th, 1979 AD

6:04 PM

They materialized in the specified room with a CRACK. As soon as they arrived, Alexandra returned to her usual form.

"I wouldn't do that immediately," Snape said. "Staying in Avery's form could be helpful for us."

Alexandra shifted back into Avery's guise as three Death Eaters Snape did not recognize came in.

"That food not agree with you, Justin?" one of them asked, somewhat mockingly.

Unfortunately, one of them apparently noticed the tail end of Alexandra's transformation.

"That's not Avery!" a man with a Russian accent shouted.

A Killing Curse erupted from under the cloak, silencing him. The remaining Death Eaters grabbed for their wands, only for the cloaked Order members to kill them in their turn.

Snape saw the three fallen enemies Transfigured into dead black beetles and nudged into corners.

"Just in case someone should investigate," Dumbledore asked. "Ms. Easton, please lead us to Lord Voldemort."

"Will do, sir."

Alexandra led them down the hallway and down the stairs. One Death Eater moved to step her, but then suddenly locked himself in a closet.

_Someone's using the Imperius Curse. Good idea._

Alexandra opened the door into the drawing room and the invisible Order members followed her, coming face to face with the Dark Lord.


	84. Things Don’t Always Go According to Plan

**Things Don't Always Go According to Plan**

by Matthew W. Quinn

**Author's Note: **Merry Christmas! It seems the end of the story will be your gift this year. Also, the countermeasure to Bellatrix's curse comes from Blackdex.

December 20th, 1979 AD

6:06 PM

The Death Eaters were already on their feet, wands out.

_Damn it_, Severus Snape thought. _Our arrival gave us away_.

He quickly cast Muffiliato. The buzzing would mask their movements, but it would also confirm the Dark Lord's suspicions that something was going on.

"Avery," Lord Voldemort said. "I have come to believe something is wrong with this picture."

_Oh no. The Occlumency help I gave her didn't work._ _He knows._

Voldemort stabbed with his wand. Snape had a moment to fear for Alexandra's life — and for his friend John Anderson's mental state if he lost another girlfriend to the war against the Dark Lord — but instead Alexandra fell screaming. Voldemort locked eyes with her and…

Someone — Snape did not know who — hurled the Killing Curse. The Dark Lord stepped aside, eyes still locked with Alexandra's, and Michael Mulciber fell dead. For a moment, Snape felt slightly indignant.

_He was mine!_

More Killing Curses hurtled straight at the Dark Lord, grabbing Snape's attention. If the Dark Lord fell in the first seconds of the fight, the battle would already be won.

Voldemort leaped back and chunks of the walls and ceiling leaped into the path of the curses, intercepting all of them.

"Treachery!" Voldemort hissed. He stabbed at Alexandra with his wand and Avery's features melted away, revealing the blond woman underneath. The Dark Lord's eyes widened in momentary shock.

More Killing Curses were fired, both at Voldemort and the other enemies in the room. However, the element of surprise was lost and the Death Eaters leaped about, dodging the attacks and hurling curses of their own at the attacks' points of origin. After a few seconds, the number of Killing Curses decreased.

_Makes sense. We can't even see each other, so we don't want to kill Order members by accident._

Snape could see a flash of fabric as a curse tore a hole in one of the advance party's invisibility cloaks.

Voldemort growled in fury and waved his wand in a circle around him. The invisibility cloaks began tearing themselves off the Order advance party.

"Aha!" the Dark Lord said. "Let's see how long you survive when you can't hide!"

Freed from the danger of accidentally hitting an invisible comrade, the Order members began using the Killing Curse again. Jets of green light flashed, but the Death Eaters were able to dodge them or block them using furniture or pieces of the wall.

_At this rate, the building will come down on top of us._

Snape saw Alexandra scrambling back, drawing her real wand from her boot. She stabbed at the Dark Lord with her wand and green light flashed, but it fizzled before a true Killing Curse could be born.

_You've got to have the will and the ruthlessness to do it. Looks like she doesn't._

The Dark Lord's red eyes fell on her.

"Weakling," he hissed.

He hurled the Killing Curse at her, but she managed to scramble out of the way and hurl a Blasting Curse back. Voldemort deflected the spell, which blew out a chunk of the ceiling, and Disarmed her.

He then started making the movements for the Killing Curse…

Suddenly, the only man Voldemort ever feared materialized behind Alexandra.

"Hello, Tom," Albus Dumbledore said.

Voldemort recoiled, his movement aborting the spell.

"Dumbledore!" he hissed, red eyes wide.

Then there was no time for talk, only combat. Snape saw James Yaxley and Laurent Gibbon go down, but the Dark Lord kept fighting.

"Die, Mrs. Mudblood!" Bellatrix Lestrange screamed. She slashed with her wand and a whirling purple pinwheel surged at Lily Evans Snape, who was dueling Amycus Carrow.

_No! Protego claustrum!_

Snape knew Bellatrix's curse could saw through Shield Charms. However, his little twist was not an ordinary Shield.

A blue-white rectangle, narrow but thick, materialized in front of the whirling pinwheel. Snape drew a breath — he had only tested the spell once, with Anderson being the one attacking. He didn't know how destructive the curse would be, wielded by its inventor.

Bellatrix's curse slammed into the shimmering bar of magic. The purple pinwheel splintered like a buzzsaw cutting into a steel bar, sending shards of purple energy flying like daggers.

Snape hurled himself aside, dodging a purple fragment that could have cost him an arm or leg. Dumbledore lashed with a fiery whip, sending a burned Evan Rosier and Andrew Goyle flying.

Voldemort brought his hand to his mouth.

_Oh damn. He's using Fiendfyre._

In the confined space, the spell would likely consume the Dark Lord and his allies, but that wouldn't make Snape and his wife any less dead along with them.

A river of fire swimming with snakes and dragons streamed from the Dark Lord's mouth. Instead of burying the Order members in flames, the spell burned straight through a nearby wall, burning a tunnel to the outside.

_He's going to try to get out of the drawing room. He wants to fight us in the open._

"Into the tunnel!" he shouted.

Snape, Remus Lupin, James Potter, and Mary Macdonald Potter leaped into the Dark Lord's path, firing a stream of curse as he and his followers charged.

Voldemort waved his wand and suddenly the walls of the impromptu tunnel began attacking them!

Snape saw the Potters fending off masses of red-hot brick and smoking wood that swung at them like fists, while a stream of building nails slashed at Lupin. The werewolf cast a Shield Charm, deflecting the nails.

Then the ceiling bent low to give Lupin a kiss.

"Lupin!" Snape shouted.

The werewolf shifted the Shield Charm upward to deflect the descending building-material fist, but blood loss from his earlier wounds slowed him.

The ceiling struck Lupin and slammed him into the ground. Still fighting, Lupin scrambled away, straight into the path of the oncoming Death Eaters. He stabbed with his wand at them, but a stream of curses slammed him into the wall. He slumped to the ground, unconscious.

"Moony!" Potter screamed as the Death Eaters passed.

He rushed to Lupin.

"No!" Dumbledore ordered. "There's no time!"

"But…" Potter began.

For a moment, Dumbledore looked sad. Then he gestured with his wand.

"Remus still lives. He would not want us to lose Voldemort."

Potter turned away from his fallen friend and joined the pursuit. The Order formed up behind Dumbledore and chased the Death Eaters down the smoking tunnel towards the outside. As the smoke cleared, Snape saw the Death Eaters had vanished.

_Part of the plan was to lay anti-Disapparition wards outside as well. Did Alexandra forget that?_

If she had and the battle was over, that would not be so bad. Three powerful Death Eaters killed with no Order deaths would be a victory, even if it wasn't the war-ender he hoped for.

Dumbledore held up a hand, stopping them. He waved his wand and something exploded above the exit of Voldemort's tunnel. A rain of debris began falling outside.

Mixed in that debris were Death Eaters.

_They thought they could drop down on us. They were wrong._

Dumbledore turned to Snape.

"They're waiting to ambush. I think you can deal with them."

Snape smiled grimly.

_Yes I can._

He brought his hand to his mouth and blew, unleashing the Fiendfyre. A herd of fiery gazelles bounded down the tunnel ahead of them and surged upward once they reached the exit. Snape could hear Death Eaters screaming.

"Quickly!" Dumbledore ordered. "Before they can regroup!"

The Order advances party streamed out of the smoking tunnel and Snape took in the scene that waited for them.

_Holy Mary._

Several dead Death Eaters, their bodies smashed by the debris or burnt by Fiendfyre, lay scattered on the ground.

More Death Eaters waiting for them in the air.

_It looks like that part of the plan is working. The Dark Lord is bringing more and more forces into the kill zone._

However, what was supposed to happen after that was that the bulk of the Order would arrive and crush them, particularly if their leadership cadre was gone. The second wave was nowhere to be found.

"To the sky!" Frank Longbottom ordered. "Alice and I will cover you!"

The two Aurors unleashed a spray of Killing Curses, carving open a gap for the Order members to take to the air. The Death Eaters retaliated, but their Killing Curses were scattered and few enough for the Order to catch them on their bucklers or avoid them.

Snape tore his broom from his back and surged into the air, slashing with Sectumsempra. He saw blood spray from slashed throats and veins and two Death Eaters fell, but three more took their place.

_Damn it. They outnumber us and Lupin is already out of commission!_

The Dark Lord floated on a broom amidst his followers.

"Destroy them!" he ordered.

The Death Eaters surged forward like a murder of crows. The Dark Lord laughed until a fiery lasso enclosed his foot and yanked him off his broom.

Snape smiled.

_Dumbledore didn't bring a broom, but he's dangerous enough on the ground._

The Dark Lord screamed and hurled a Killing Curse at his tormentor. Snape could see Dumbledore step to the side and avoid the attack, then vanish. His lasso remained firmly attached to Voldemort.

Voldemort swore and Disapparated. Snape's heart sank.

_Damn and blast! The jinxes cover the ground but not the air!_

A green light flashed and Snape raised his left arm, catching the curse on his buckler. The resulting explosion sent him flying, but he barely managed to stay on his broom.

Snape looked up. A Death Eater circled above him like a hungry shark. Above him, he the Longbottoms dueled several Death Eaters, the latter led by the Lestranges.

_Can't use the Killing Curse. If he dodges, I might hit one of them by mistake._

Then he remembered an interesting spell he learned from one of the books he "liberated" from the Room of Requirement.

_Levitas!_

A blue-white flash erupted in front of him, carving greenish-purple splotches into his vision. A bolt of lightning cracked from his wand and surged up into the Death Eater. For a moment, Snape could see the other man's skeleton.

The man screamed and plummeted from the sky. Snape barely had time to gape at the effect the spell had before a curse slammed into his broom from below and smashed it.

_Damn and blast!_

His broom destroyed, Snape fell. Irony of ironies, it was the spell Potter had used to torment him so long ago that was his salvation.

_Levicorpus!_

The magic seized him by the ankle and broke his falls seconds before he would have slammed face-first into the roof of Riddle Manor. Somewhere behind him, Snape could hear Lily scream.

Snape freed himself from the spell and slipped behind the chimney, unnoticed by the combatants.

_The dunderheads must've thought me dead. Time to prove them wrong._

Snape's dark eyes leaped from combatant to combatant. He saw two Death Eaters swarming around Alexandra, who had somehow gotten hold of a broom. She was holding them off, but barring reinforcement, they would tire her out and bring her down.

He remembered how Anderson had wept when they scattered Amanda's ashes on the Thames.

_Time to even the odds. Levitas!_

A lightning bolt surged from his wand, snatching one Death Eater out of the sky. The second Death Eater barely had time to gape before Alexandra swatted him out of the sky.

Despite this minor victory, Snape was still rather concerned.

_The defenses have been turned inward for some time now. Where are the reinforcements?_

Lupin was incapacitated. The Potters dueled four at once, but their refusal to use the Killing Curse left them at a disadvantage. He could not find Dumbledore and Lily and the Longbottoms were preoccupied by the Lestranges. If things did not turn around soon, the Death Eaters would crush them beneath sheer weight of numbers.

He decided to cast a Patronus to at least let Lily know he was still alive

"Severus Snape," a high, cold voice interrupted.

Snape turned to see Voldemort alighting on the roof behind him.


	85. Die Götterdämmerung

**Die ****Götterdämmerung**

By Matthew W. Quinn

**Author's Note**: "Götterdämmerung" means "Twilight of the Gods," if you are interested. And Merry Christmas again — I got this done earlier than I thought.

December 20th, 1979 AD

6:25 PM

"Something tells me you came up with this plan," Lord Voldemort said. "Your taste in women and in leaders is horrid, but you've got a good Slytherin brain."

_You talk too much. Avada Kedavra!_

Severus Snape hurled the Killing Curse at Voldemort, who neatly stepped aside. His riposte slammed Snape, wand arm first, through the roof and onto the third floor.

He landed on his back, hard, and had the wind knocked out of him. Voldemort neatly dropped through the hole in the ceiling and landed on the balls of his feet close by.

Snape immediately stabbed with his wand.

_Avada Kedavra!_

Voldemort stepped aside and stabbed with his own wand. Snape's wand leaped away.

_Accio!_

Voldemort stabbed with his wand again and an explosion caught Snape's wand in midair and sent it flying.

"Did you think I did not foresee that?" the Dark Lord asked.

Voldemort stabbed with his wand and pain rippled through Snape, burning along his bones. Snape repressed a scream.

"Weakened as I am, I still have many more friends than you do, Severus Snape. You have Dumbledore, but enough jackals can drag down a lion. I'm torn between killing you immediately and making an example of you or letting you live long enough to see your friends — particularly your Mudblood whore — die."

_If I try for my wand again, he'll expect that. However, I've got something he might not..._

The combat knife Father gave him — Goblin-made but done in the style of the Gurkhas — had survived the battle in the mine. Snape still carried it, although he had not used it since.

_He won't expect_ that.

Snape grabbed for the knife and hurled it at the Dark Lord. Voldemort's eyes widened in shock as the knife buried itself in his shoulder.

The Dark Lord screamed and Snape scrambled away.

_Accio wand!_

Snape's wand, battered but still intact, leaped into Snape's hand from a corner. Snape grabbed it and made the movements for the Killing Curse just as the Dark Lord ripped the blade from his flesh.

_Avada Kedavra!_

Voldemort did not have time to dodge. Instead, he used Snape's knife as an impromptu shield. The resulting explosion all but destroyed the knife, but the Dark Lord remained alive and standing.

"Clever," Voldemort said. "You'd have made a fine Death Eater."

The Dark Lord laughed grimly before hurling the Killing Curse. Snape instinctively leaped to the side, only to collide face-first with the wall. He staggered back, blood pouring from his broken nose, and Voldemort cast the Killing Curse again.

Snape dodged again, barely. The jet of green light passed less than an inch from his face, drawing blisters.

Then someone shouted and wood crashed.

"Hey tere, Tom you son of a bitch!" Rubeus Hagrid roared.

_Hagrid! He wasn't part of the advance party!_

The cavalry had arrived at last.

Hagrid's huge fist slammed into the Dark Lord's jaw, sending blood and teeth flying. The Dark Lord reeled, staggering back through an open door.

"Ter Death Eaters are, clever, Severus," Hagrid said. "They had ruddy great masses of Inferi all around the property. We got through 'em, but it took ti..."

"Hagrid, behind you!" Snape screamed.

The Dark Lord was down, but he was not out. Bleeding from shoulder and mouth and red eyes burning with rage, Voldemort emerged from the room.

"Still a very physical being, I see," Voldemort said. "Let's see if you can do magic without a wand."

Voldemort's mention of the wand set off something within Hagrid. The half-giant roared and stabbed at Voldemort with his umbrella, casting a fairly powerful Blasting Curse.

_I didn't think he had that kind of magic in him._

Voldemort deflected the attack and hurled a Killing Curse. Hagrid dodged, but before he could retaliate, Voldemort Disarmed him.

"Goodbye, Hagrid. Perhaps Aragog will miss you."

Then Voldemort cast the Killing Curse. Hagrid fell dead.

Snape immediately hurled a Killing Curse of his own, but the Dark Lord used Hagrid's huge body as a shield. Voldemort then smashed open the wall of Riddle Manor and hurled Hagrid's corpse onto the battling throngs below.

"Thus die all those who oppose the Dark Lord!" Voldemort screamed.

A great cry rose up among the Order of the Phoenix and even some of the Death Eaters, those who remembered the big, kindly groundskeeper fondly.

_Egotistical __dunderhead should finish off his enemies before bragging._

Snape cast the Killing Curse at Voldemort. The Dark Lord stepped aside and retaliated with a curse of his own. Snape rolled, dodging his attack, and slashed with Sectumsempra. His spell cut Voldemort across his already-damaged chest and face.

Voldemort's roar of pain and rage shattered the floor beneath them. Snape saw Voldemort leap onto a more stable area as he fell through the floor.

The impact knocked the wind out of him and Snape prepared for the Dark Lord to finish him off.

Nothing happened.

_Does the arrogant bastard think I die that easily?_

He scrambled to his feet as quickly as he could. He looked around.

The Dark Lord did not follow.

_That snake-faced fool. He isn't coming to investigate?_

He shrugged.

_It's written that pride comes before the fall. It would be fitting if it were me who brought him down._

Snape looked around and tried to get his bearings. He had gone over the layout of Riddle Manor a couple of times before the advance guard Apparated in, but he wasn't as familiar with the place as he liked.

He figured the door to his right led into the main hallway. He could then take the stairs down to the ground floor and get back into the fight.

Lily might still think you're dead. Useful as her red-head rage might be in battle, it wouldn't do to have her think that too long.

Snape tore open the door and rushed down the hallway. As he neared the big grand staircase, he nearly collided with Evan Rosier.

_Shit!_

Rosier laughed.

"Hallo, Snape," he said. "You're thirty seconds too late. I just killed your Mudblood."

Snape snorted.

"Bollocks. You said I was the spy last time."

Snape punctuated his retort with the Killing Curse. Rosier leaped to the side and tore his whip from his belt.

"I killed her with this, strangled her," the young Death Eater gloated. "It was fun. You should have seen how her red hair..."

_Sectumsempra!_

Snape's curse ripped open Rosier's chest and cut a length from his whip. The Death Eater screamed and lashed with what was left. The whip curled around Snape's ankle and pain bloomed throughout the length of his leg. The Death Eater yanked and Snape hit the ground.

Once Snape was down, Rosier cast the Killing Curse straight at Snape's head. He immediately threw his head aside and the curse slammed into the floor. Splinters buried themselves in the side of Snape's face.

Snape immediately hurled the Killing Curse himself. Rosier leaped to the side, momentarily letting go of his whip. Snape grabbed it, ignoring the burning pain in his hand, and yanked the weapon away from the Death Eater.

"Thanks, Evan," Snape said as he scrambled to his feet. Rosier cast the Killing Curse at him, but Snape was able to catch it on his buckler. The buckler held, barely.

_Putesco!_

Snape's curse caught Rosier in the gut. He doubled over and when he pulled himself back up, the whites of his eyes were yellow and Snape could see worms pulsing beneath his cheeks.

"Snape, you bastard!" Rosier screamed.

He moved to attack with his wand, but the flesh on his arm split open as he moved. The smell nearly made Snape gag.

Rosier screamed, his Killing Curse going wild. Snape retaliated with a Blasting Curse to Rosier's stomach.

The young Death Eater's torso exploded, covering Snape and the walls with stinking, rotting viscera.

Rosier's body hit the floor, body nearly split in half.

Snape barely had time to exult in his victory. Someone moved behind Snape and he threw himself to the side, barely avoiding another Killing Curse.

"It seems you've killed another one of my friends," Voldemort said. "A very bad habit, that, one I'll have to break you of."

Snape turned, making the hand movements for the Killing Curse.

Voldemort shook his head. His wand hand twitched and waves of pain seized Snape. He fell to his knees, the pain burning along every bone and circling his eyes.

"I was going to come after you in person," the Dark Lord said. "But one of your friends came after me. Another Slytherin traitor—I think it was that one Bella took an arm and a leg from. He was brave, but he wasn't skilled enough to deal with Lord Voldemort."

_Allen? Did that bastard kill Allen?_

Snape had trained Allen McIntosh and his girlfriend Anne Caryl in Dark Magic, to help them fend off efforts to coerce them into joining the Death Eaters. Anne was still at Hogwarts, but McIntosh had followed his mentor into the Order of the Phoenix.

Pushing aside his pain, Snape hurled a succession of Flesh-Rotting and Bone-Distortion Curses at the Dark Lord.

_I want to make it as slow and nasty as possible. Make the bastard suffer. _

Voldemort deflected the curses, momentarily breaking the Cruciatus. Snape scrambled away into one of the nearby rooms. He slammed the door shut and immediately jumped to the side.

_Perhaps I can ambush the arrogant git._

Voldemort followed afterward. The door exploded inward, followed by the portion of the wall Snape hid behind. As Snape tumbled, he hit Voldemort in the face with the Bone-Distortion Curse.

_Yes!_

Snape saw the Dark Lord's body beginning to twist and shift, saw shoulder blades cutting through dark robes and teeth pushing against his lips.

Voldemort's breathing came faster and the bone distortion began to slow and reverse itself. Snape's dark eyes bulged.

_Bloody hell? He didn't even use a countercharm!_

Snape tried to hurl another curse, but the Dark Lord waved his hand. Snape felt magic picking him up and hurling him against a nearby bed. The impact sent both Snape and the mattress sliding off the bed.

Voldemort stepped forward, casting another Killing Curse, but Snape had fired a Blasting Curse himself. The resulting explosion sent the Dark Lord flying through the closed window, taking a fair bit of wall with him.

Snape scrambled after him. Ahead, he could see the Longbottoms and Lestranges still fighting, saw Lily Evans Snape — _thank you God Rosier was lying_ — and Mary Macdonald Potter bringing down Amycus Carrow between them, saw John Anderson nearly splitting a Death Eater in half with Sectumsempra…

Voldemort landed on his feet amidst the melee. An enormous circle opened around him as his enemies retreated before him and the remaining Death Eaters formed up behind him.

"You weaklings," Voldemort roared. "Who dares challenge Lord Voldemort!"

Kieran Abernethy lunged from the crowd. Snape raised an eyebrow.

_I've never seen him fight before._

Abernethy hurled the Killing Curse at the Dark Lord. Voldemort neatly stepped aside, the curse passing through where he'd been to kill a Death Eater instead, and cast the Killing Curse himself.

Abernethy hit the ground, the light going out of his eyes. Someone screamed amid the crowd of Order warriors and Snape remembered Abernethy was married and had a small son.

_I thought his wife wasn't in the Order. What's she doing here?_

"Anyone else?" Voldemort roared. "Anyone el…"

A blast of silver light struck the Dark Lord in the temple. Voldemort's head exploded like a melon dropped from a great height.

_Who did it? The only one more powerful than the Dark Lord is Dumbledore._

James Potter stepped forward. He was bruised and bloody and his left arm hung funny, but his hazel eyes were bright and raging.

"That's for Padfoot and Moony, you devil," he said, voice a feral growl. "And Wormtail too."

_Potter? Potter just killed Voldemort?_

Snape shrugged.

_At least someone did it._

The Dark Lord's body hit the ground with an ominous finality. Someone screamed amidst the Death Eaters.

"Bella, no!" her husband shouted, but Bellatrix had already charged, leaping over the Dark Lord's fallen form and unleashing a torrent of Killing Curses.

Snape saw her targets, Frank and Alice Longbottom.

_With the Dark Lord gone, she at least wants to finish the job._

The two Aurors were not easy targets. Both of them dodged, with Alice casting some kind of curse that knocked the other Order members to the ground, out of the way of Bellatrix's attacks.

Bellatrix wheeled on Potter, hurling the Killing Curse at him as well. He dodged, hurling two Blasting Curses at Bellatrix. The resulting explosion knocked her into the path of Killing Curses from the Longbottoms. Her corpse joined her Lord's on the ground.

Now it was her husband's turn to scream.

"Bella!" he shouted.

He charged the Longbottoms, hurling Killing Curses. The Longbottoms expertly avoided his attacks and hurled the Killing Curse themselves. Lestrange avoided the attack, but they were two against one and his wife's death had affected his control. It wasn't long before he joined his wife in death.

With the death of the last Lestrange, an eerie quiet settled over the battlefield. A long moment passed.

Then Albus Dumbledore suddenly appeared over the corpses. He looked a little worse for wear but he was smiling.

"I believe," Dumbledore said, "That now is the moment to surrender."

His words broke the remaining Death Eaters. Several of them threw themselves to the ground at Dumbledore's feet, begging for mercy or pleading Imperius. One Death Eater attacked and killed another — hoping to buy forgiveness by turning on his fellows, probably — while the others just fled, on foot or by broom,

Snape remembered the lessons of Father's books on war in the ancient world.

_When armies break, the slaughter begins._

Dumbledore gave commands and the Order unleashed its wrath on the fleeing Death Eaters.

_Stunners. They want them alive. How very much like Dumbledore._

The Death Eaters began falling, some from a great height. The Order members roared, celebrating their victory.

_First things first_, Snape thought as he dropped from the open window. _Got to find Lily_.

He made his way through the throng of Order members, looking for red hair. He nearly collided with McIntosh.

_Oh thank God._

McIntosh was bloodied and his bronze left arm was heavily chipped and scarred. One eye was nearly swollen shut and he looked to be missing some teeth. He was still alive and still on his feet.

_Looks like Voldemort didn't follow up._

"Severus," he said. "Come quickly. Lily's looking for you."

They found Lily looking through the crowd herself, her fury equaling his own.

"Lily," Snape said.

She looked up. Her teal eyes widened.

"Sev!" she shouted.

The two embraced. Lily buried her face in his shoulder.

"Sev, when I saw you fall, I thought the worst. I saw the lightning, but then Voldemort came and..."

"That doesn't matter now," Snape said, his face in her shoulder. "It's over now. The war is over."


	86. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

by Matthew W. Quinn

**Author's Note**: Credit for the idea of a multi-part epilogue goes to "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Do-Over" and the wolves/werewolves bit comes from "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress," both of which are available on this site. Two more things — if you're a Lupin/Tonks fan or just like my HP fiction in general, add yourself to my Author Alert list, since I'm going to write an L/T AU with KHM8, and if you like sword/sorcery fiction, my original story "Lord Giovanni's Daughter" will appear in the 12th issue of the webzine _Flashing Swords_ sometime in the next few weeks.

June 22nd, 1980 AD

3:30 PM

The months following Voldemort's fall had seen many weddings, as those who held off on those decisions due to the war finally went through with them. Severus Snape had already attended Caradoc Dearborn's and Emmeline Vance's wedding and even served as a groomsman for Regulus Black and Sarah Jewell.

Now, it was John Anderson and Alexandra Easton's turn to walk down the aisle and Snape served as Best Man.

Anderson stood ramrod straight at the altar of Wesley Memorial Methodist Church in Oxford. Snape leaned over.

"Nervous?" he asked.

Anderson nodded quickly.

"Don't worry," he said. "It will all be over in an hour or so."

Anderson nodded again.

"Thanks."

Snape took the opportunity to see who was there.

_Lily's here, obviously. The Potters, the Blacks, the Longbottoms. Oh look, the Tonkses._

Ted Tonks, his wife Andromeda Black Tonks, and their daughter Nymphadora had returned from Canada soon after the Dark Lord fell. Along the way, they had secured a new addition to their family — Andromeda's blond-haired nephew Draco Malfoy, whose mother Narcissa Black Malfoy would be serving several years in Azkaban.

Then the wedding march began and the doors to the sanctuary swung open. Both Snape's and Anderson's jaws dropped as Alexandra, escorted by her father came in.

_Damn. I'm not really into blondes, but she_ is _beautiful_.

The ceremony went fairly quickly — _hooray for churches without elaborate liturgies_ —and everyone migrated to a nearby wizard-owned event center, where the magic could be let loose without fear of alerting the Muggles. Snape allowed himself a small smile as he saw the bottles of wine floating from table to table, pouring drinks for the guests.

The guests sat down to eat and socialize. Then it came time for his speech and it was Snape's turn to feel nervous.

He rose to his feet and cleared his throat.

"Good afternoon," he began.

_Don't forget to breathe._

He began simply, recounting how he and Anderson had become friends when he had fought Mulciber and consequently lost all his friends within Slytherin. He described their service together during the war and recounted Anderson's bravery during the final battle.

"The best of luck to both of you," he said quickly.

Snape sat back down. Anderson leaned over.

"Thanks. That was good."

July 23rd, 1980 AD

7:30 PM

"This the place?" Snape asked.

"Pretty sure," Anderson said. "There've been sporadic wolf sightings over the last couple of months, but the wolves were exterminated here long ago. Searches of the area have found no dens or anything other than the occasional track."

"That means werewolves," McIntosh added quickly. "And the description seems to fit Greyback."

Snape narrowed his eyes.

_A big adult male wolf, gray, and two smaller wolves. Greyback and some kids he's snatched, probably. The git's gone back to his old tricks._

He looked up to the waxing moon overhead.

_Good. Only fighting men tonight, with no risk of infection._

The trio made their way into the woods. All of them had their wands out and Anderson kept his eye on the path ahead of them, looking for traps.

_It's unlikely they'll lay traps they could be vulnerable to in wolf-form, but one never knows._

They walked for a fairly long time, casting Revealing Charms as they went. As the hours passed, Snape began to grow discouraged.

_If he sees us traipsing around and doesn't attack, he'll probably leave the area. Then we'll have to start all over again._

Then McIntosh stopped suddenly. He pointed to the left.

More carefully now, the three of them walked forward, casting the charms.

_Three people, an adult and two children, hidden inside a hill of all places._

They approached the rise. When they got within a few feet, Snape spotted a hidden door.

"A lair," Snape commented. "How exceedingly appropriate."

Anderson smiled.

"Yep."

Anderson laid an anti-Disapparition jinx in front of the door. He held his wand over the site for a good minute.

Snape smiled.

_A jinx of that power will keep him from Disapparating for a fair distance around. He won't be getting away._

"All right," Snape said. "Ready?"

The others nodded.

He pointed his wand at the hidden door.

_Confringo! Confringo! CONFRINGO!_

The door held against the first Blasting Curse, but not against the second. The third exploded somewhere inside.

The three of them burst into the lair, wands ready.

"Careful about the kids!" Anderson shouted.

_Of course. They may be little monsters, but think Lupin, not Greyback._

After much cajoling from James Potter, mighty destroyer of Voldemort that he was, the Ministry had held its nose and hired Lupin as a consultant to Werewolf Support Services, to help reintegrate what was left of Greyback's pack into wizarding society. Lupin would have two more charges by the time this was over.

There was a high-pitched scream and a skinny boy hurled himself at them. McIntosh Stunned him. Anderson blew open a nearby door to find another skinny boy cowering inside.

"We're from the Ministry," Anderson said. "Where's the bad man?"

Another door exploded, this time outward, and Anderson went flying. Fenrir Greyback, skinnier than Snape remembered but still formidable, burst out.

_Sectumsempra!_

Pleasing as it would have been to use the Killing Curse, his ability to do that legally had ended with the final destruction of the Death Eaters. He would have to do this the hard way.

A bloody line erupted from Greyback's waist to his opposite shoulder. He screamed and stabbed with his wand. There was a flash of green light and Snape threw himself to the side. The wall exploded where he'd been.

McIntosh stabbed with his wand and the resulting explosion sent Greyback flying through the door back into his room. The three wizards poured in after him and Snape Disarmed Greyback before he could attack again.

"Now," Snape announced. "You die."

Despite his bad position, Greyback smiled.

"You wouldn't," he said. "War's over now. You won't get away with this."

Snape shook his head.

"Someone didn't show up for their hearing. The fugitives who appeared willingly got reduced sentences if they didn't get off entirely with an Imperius plea. You're still wanted dead or alive and, given your comments about my future kids, I'm thinking deader is better."

Realization dawned over Greyback's face. With a roar, he threw himself at Snape. Snape stepped aside and Greyback crashed through where he'd been to claw Anderson. Blood spattered as the werewolf clawed his face.

_Shit! Putesco!_

Snape's curse blew Greyback off his friend. The werewolf slammed into the wall with a gruesome smush.

Snape winced.

_That couldn't have been pleasant._

Greyback refused to lie down and die. He roared again and charged straight at Snape.

Snape smiled.

_Confringo!_

The trick he used on Rosier worked again. Greyback hit the ground, dead, his prematurely-decayed remains painting the walls.

Snape then rushed over to Anderson, who was on the ground, bleeding from several long cuts to his left cheek.

_Looks like Greyback slashed him once across the face._

"You all right?" Snape said frantically. "I'm sorry, I…"

Anderson moaned.

"What do I look like?" he asked.

"We'll see in a minute," Snape said. "Sit still."

He waved his wand over the slashes on Anderson's face, singing the song that cured Sectumsempra wounds.

The slashes knitted themselves shut, although they left scars.

_Werewolf wounds are cursed. I think I did better than average._

"You done?" Anderson asked.

Snape nodded. Anderson sat up and Transfigured part of the floor into a mirror. He looked and sighed visibly in relief.

"Good. I thought they might stay open forever and always get infected…"

He paused for a moment and looked at his friends.

"Do I look badass?"

Snape repressed a chuckle, which came out through his nose.

"I think so."

Anderson smiled.

"Good."

His face scrunched up in thought.

"When we're done, can we snag a burger or something? I'm hungry."

July 10th, 1980 AD

7:45 PM

The three of them delivered what was left of Greyback to the Ministry, along with the two children he'd abducted, and were duly rewarded.

Snape returned to Spinner's End, a thousand galleons richer with a smile on his thin face.

Lily Evans Snape met him at the door.

"It's done?"

Snape smiled and hung his coat on the coat rack by the door.

"Yes," he said. "We won't need to worry about Greyback ever again."

Lily smiled. "Right on time, too."

Snape raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

Lily's smile grew wider. She leaned forward and whispered in Snape's ear.

As she whispered, his eyes got wider and wider.

_Me? A father?_

He knew intellectually that this was likely, as they'd decided with the war over, it was time to start a family. This was why he had gone after Greyback personally.

However, for some reason, he did not expect it so _soon_.

"When?" he stammered.

"I think sometime in March," Lily said. "We'll have plenty of time to get ready, don't worry."

January 5th, 1981 AD

11:30 AM

Not everything went well in the months after Voldemort's fall. Mr. Evans died of a heart attack at the rather young age of 56.

Mrs. Evans, her daughters, and her sons-in-law gathered beneath a leaden sky as Mr. Evans was buried in Grosvenor Square, the churchyard of All Saints' Church.

Vernon Dursley laid his hand on Mrs. Evans' shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Mum," he said.

Snape did likewise.

"Me too."

Then they stepped back to allow Lily and Petunia Evans Dursley to hug her.

"Thank you," she said, dabbling at her eyes.

She looked at her two daughters.

"At least he lived long enough to see both of you married and pregnant."

Both sisters were expecting. Lily, being a few months ahead of her sister, was a bit wider around the middle, but Petunia was starting to show herself.

_Married first and pregnant first_, Snape mentally commented. _I bet Petunia's a bit steamed._

For a moment, he wondered if Petunia's child would be a wizard or witch.

_Wouldn't that be ironic and amusing?_

His smile drained away.

_Of course, given his or her parents, that could be unpleasant._

May 10th, 1981 AD

1 PM

"Aww, Sev, isn't she just adorable?" Lily said. She planted another kiss atop the head of their daughter Eileen Lily Snape.

"Yes," Snape said. "Yes, she is."

The three of them, flanked by godfather John Anderson and godmother Mary Macdonald Potter, stood at the baptismal font of the Catholic cathedral in Manchester where they had been married. The priest would return shortly and then the baptism of Eileen would begin.

He reached over and ran a long finger over the streaks of dark hair crowning the infant's head.

_She's got my eyes and hair, but Lily's face. Not my nose, thank God. If she takes after her mother, we'll be beating the boys off with a stick in fifteen years or so._

Snape's eyes drifted over towards the pews, where Potter and Regulus and Sarah Jewell Black sat with their babies.

The elder Potter held Harry James Potter, whose brown eyes were a subtly different shade from his hazel ones. Lily and Remus Lupin would serve as godparents for him the following week. The Blacks had Sirius Alphard Black IV, a gray-eyed boy who already looked a fair bit like his namesake.

Snape allowed himself a small smile.

_I think I already know which boys I need to keep a particular eye on._


	87. Authors' Note

**Author's Note**

By Matthew W. Quinn

In one of the last chapters of "Wrath of the Half-Blood Prince," I told you all that I had an original fantasy story that would be published in the twelfth issue of the print fantasy magazine _Flashing Swords, _scheduled to be published in October/November of 2008.

Due to some issues, that did not happen. They're back on track now and another story I sold FS is slated for the 13th issue, with the other stories slated for the 14th and the 15th issues. #13 is slated for early November, with (I assume) the others being sometime in 2010.

However, I've got something some of you might like, right now.

The Battle Corps web-site hosts canon fiction set in the Battletech universe. My short story, "Skirmish at the Vale's Edge," went up earlier this evening. The site charges a $10 monthly subscription, but this subscription gets you access to a lot of BT fiction and you can buy older stories for $2 or so each.

Those unfamiliar with the BT universe should check out the Battletech Wiki, which will fill you in. The most relevant topics for my story are the Clans (particularly Clan Wolf) and the Oberon Confederation.


	88. Another Author's Note

**Another Author's Note**

by Matthew W. Quinn

This Author's Note has two purposes:

The first is to give you all a taste of where the universe would have gone if I had ever written a sequel. I do not intend to do so — once I finish my Transformers fan-fic "The Revenge of the Fallen Reboot," I will not write anymore fan-fiction and will focus on original projects.

The idea I had for a sequel was entitled "The Shenanigans of a Half-Blood Princess." It takes place at roughly the same time as _Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince_ did in the canon timeline, seventeen years after the War of the Dark Lord ended and the veterans of the Order of the Phoenix got on with their lives.

In it, Severus Snape, now a respected Apothecary and occasional Dark Arts consultant, receives a letter from his and Lily's daughter Eileen, who is in Ravenclaw. Her younger brother, the red-haired, green-eyed, big-nosed boy seen in Darth Depravious's story "Snape's Erised," is a Slytherin and has caught her snogging the Gryffindor Harry Potter behind a curtain in Hogwarts castle somewhere.

Being the good Slytherin boy that he is, he decides to use this information as leverage over his sister. She isn't going to put up with this and writes her parents, complaining about her brother's behavior (but at the same revealing what her brother is blackmailing her with).

Here we get a bit of the values dissonance that exists between Snape and Lily. Snape admires his son's cleverness and is mildly vexed that his daughter is getting involved with a _Potter_, while Lily doesn't mind the latter and is rather concerned about the fact their son has essentially committed blackmail.

(This does not indicate marital problems on their part. Even the happiest-married couples have disagreements sometimes.)

There would also be some information on what Lily is doing with her life. I figured she would divide her time between looking after their third child (a preschool-aged later-life "surprise baby") and serving in the Wizangamot, where she is an advocate for such causes as decent treatment of werewolves.

Since I don't intend to write it, I figured it would be fair to let you all at least have a taste of what the future of this universe portends.

The second purpose is to remove the need for future Author's Notes by giving all of you the URL of my blog. It's www . accordingtoquinn . com. Those of you who are interested in keeping up with my writerly doings can do so here.

(This blog did not exist when I was writing "Wrath of the Half-Blood Prince." This is why you all are finding out about it now.)

This will enable you to get all the latest information, including progress on my original novel and the collection of short original fiction I am working on with Daverana Enterprises, a small press. It also contains "behind the scenes" information on my other completed Harry Potter fan-fiction "Lord of the Werewolves" and a fair bit of pontificating on politics and culture.


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